Rare Korean talks hamstrung by row over military drills

North and South Korea wrapped up their highest level talks for seven years today without any specific agreement, as they struggled to overcome a row over looming South Korea-US military drills.
The "candid" talks formally ended just before midnight, the South's Unification Ministry said, with a decision to continue discussions but no set timetable for doing so.
There was no joint statement.
Although the most important sit-down meeting between the two rivals since 2007 had begun with no fixed agenda, the South had focused on securing the North's commitment to a planned reunion later this month for family members separated by the 1950-53 Korean War.

The two Koreas agreed last week to hold the reunion from February 20-25, dates that would overlap with the beginning on February 24 of South Korea's annual joint military exercises with the United States.
According to the Unification Ministry, the North side at today's talks in the border truce village of Panmunjom had demanded that the drills be postponed until after the reunion event was over.

"Our side maintained its position that it cannot accept the North's demands ... Because it runs against our principle that there should be no linkage between purely humanitarian and military issues," the ministry said in a statement.

North Korea views the annual joint exercises as a rehearsal for invasion and has repeatedly demanded they be scrapped in a spirit of reconciliation.
Today's talks began at 10:00am (0100 GMT) with a brief morning session, followed by three hours of discussions in the afternoon, and a series of one-on-one evening sit-downs between the chief delegates.
The South side was led by top National Security Council official Kim You-Hun, and the North by Won Tong-Yon -- deputy head of a ruling party organisation that handles inter-Korean ties.
Before the talks began, Kim had said he wanted to "explore the chance of opening a new chapter on the Korean peninsula".