At the contact the north side proposed discussing, first of all, its workers' wage hike and rent for land. But the south side insisted on the preferential solution of the issues of passage, customs clearance and communications, sidestepping the north side's principled and just proposal. It deliberately created a hurdle in the way of discussion, taking issue with the routine military drill conducted by the Korean People's Army with a hue and cry over "escalation of tension" and somebody's "uneasiness."

The north side sternly denounced the south side for kicking up a racket of confrontation with the DPRK over the KPA's artillery firing drill, driving the inter-Korean relations to the phase of confrontation.

The north side emphasized that if the south side has a true intention to settle the above-said three issues in the KIZ, it should respond to the north-proposed military working-level talks as early as possible and take a proper stand on the wage hike.

It made it clear that an early increase of wages of workers from the north side, in particular, constitutes a key and urgent issue related not only to the operations in the KIZ but to its prospect.

The north side chided the south side for making empty talks, persistently insisting on the secondary issues raised by it at the previous contact without having any preparation and study, and urged it to honestly respond to the discussion on the north-proposed realistic issues.

Both sides agreed to discuss the issues of construction of workers' lodging quarters and their wage hike, etc. at the future working contact and handle the issues of passage, customs clearance and communications in the KIZ at the inter-Korean military working-level talks.