At the contact the DPRK side proposed discussing the issue of the scope of the reunion of separated families and relatives and its venue which were left unsettled at the last contact and adopting an agreement on the inter-Korean Red Cross working contact.

It also proposed with sincerity to open the north-south Red Cross full-dress talks in the middle of October as regards the issue of reunion raised by the south side and discuss there such humanitarian issues as putting the reunion on a normal footing.

Taking into consideration the south side's proposal for choosing the Mt. Kumgang Reunion Center as the venue of the reunion, the DPRK side had a sincere consultation on it as a separate issue by getting its officials concerned involved at the contact.

But, the south side, which had been reluctant to have the said working contact from the outset, took an insincere attitude toward the contact. It overturned all the agreed points, including the date of reunion and the date of exchange of lists of persons to be involved in the reunion, on which both sides agreed upon at the last contact, proposing to delay them. It also insisted that it was possible to adopt an agreement unless the issue of the venue of the reunion is settled.

When the DPRK side proposed discussing the said issue between those persons concerned of both sides, accepting the south side's proposal with magnanimity, the south side immediately withdrew its assertion about the venue of the reunion and proposed changing it. It thus deliberately threw another hurdle in the way of discussing the issues.

The south side, while delaying the talks for hours over the issue of the venue, took such a very rude attitude as saying that it would unilaterally withdraw from the contact though it has not yet been concluded.

Due to the wrong stand of the south side, the two sides at the contact failed to properly consult any issue regarding the date of the reunion, its scope and venue, ending up without adopting any agreement.

The south side insincerely approached the contact without preparing any keynote speech and making preparations for an agreement. When the DPRK side chided this behavior, the south side took such an impolite attitude as putting forward the roughly prepared speech it had used at the previous round of the contact, leaving the date and words untouched.

The current round of the contact clearly revealed that "humanitarianism" and the pain of the "separated families" about which the south side has so far talked a great deal are nothing but sheer lies and it has no will to substantially solve the issue.

The DPRK side took a serious note of this and urged the south side to honestly approach the discussion on the issue.

Both sides decided to further the contact between those related to the authorities and the Red-Cross working contact on the issue of the venue of the reunion in Kaesong on Oct. 1.