S.Korea, DPRK agree to defuse tensions after talks

South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) agreed Tuesday to defuse the heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Seoul's top presidential security advisor said after a total of 43 hours of marathon talks with his DPRK counterpart in the truce village of Panmunjom.

According to the six-point agreement, South Korea and the DPRK agreed to hold an inter-governmental dialogue in Seoul or Pyongyang at an earliest possible date to improve inter-Korean relations, and to go ahead with dialogue and negotiations in various areas.

The DPRK expressed regrets over injured South Korean soldiers following landmine blasts on the southern section of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) during the marathon talks.

South Korea stopped broadcasting all propaganda messages with loudspeakers in frontline areas from midnight Tuesday as far as abnormal situations are not unfolded.

Pyongyang agreed to release the earlier order of its forces to enter a state of war.

The two Koreas agreed to hold a working-level Red Cross contact in early September for the reunion of Korean families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War during the upcoming Chuseok holiday that falls in late September.

Seoul and Pyongyang also agreed to facilitate private-sector exchanges in various areas.

Kim Kwan-jin, chief security advisor to South Korean President Park Geun-hye, met Hwang Pyong So, chief military aide to top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un, at the Panmunjom truce village inside the DMZ dividing the two Koreas.

The top-level dialogue ran from 3:30 p.m. Sunday (0630 GMT) to 00:55 a.m. midnight Tuesday after the 10-hour first session from Saturday afternoon.

South Korean Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo and DPRK's United Front Department Director Kim Yang Gon in charge of Seoul- Pyongyang relations each accompanied them to the closed-door meeting. Enditem