EARLY EDITION 18:00 Koreas reach agreement after marathon family reunion talks

ARIRANG NEWS 18:00 Title: Koreas reach agreement after marathon family reunion talks The two Koreas have settled on the date, location and scale of their planned set of family reunions after marathon talks. The resumption of reunions for war-separated families was one of the key agreements reached during last month′s high-level talks between the two Koreas. Hwang Sung-hee reports. The two Koreas agreed Tuesday to hold their planned set of reunions for war-separated families from October 20th to 26th at North Korea′s Mount Kumgang resort. The event will be held in two rounds, allowing 100 family members from each side to see their loved ones again. This includes South Korean war prisoners and abductees captured by the North. Following marathon negotiations that lasted for nearly 24 hours, South Korea′s chief delegate said the two sides had primarily haggled over the timing of the event. "South Korea suggested holding the event as soon as possible in time for Chuseok, but North Korea explained that pushing the reunions back was inevitable, as it needs more time to prepare, considering the Chuseok holiday and its national event." The national event is the 70th anniversary of the founding of North Korea′s ruling Workers′ Party on October 10th, and there is speculation that the North may be preparing to launch a long-range rocket to mark occasion, which could jeopardize the family reunions. Millions of families were separated during the Korean War in the 1950s. Nearly half of the 130-thousand registered divided family members in the South have already passed away. During the negotiations, Seoul also made separate proposals, such as to hold the reunions on a regular basis and exchange lists of surviving separated family members from both sides, but the Koreas agreed to discuss these fundamental issues in the near future. "Tuesday′s outcome may seem like nothing out of the ordinary, but some experts note its significance,... as it is the first joint effort by the two Koreas to adhere to one of their key agreements from the landmark inter-Korean talks last month. Hwang Sung-hee, Arirang News." Title: Rival parties hail agreement to hold family reunions in late October South Korea′s rival parties hailed the agreement between the two Koreas. The ruling Saenuri Party characterized the deal as a turning point for inter-Korean relations, as the two sides had built on last month′s agreement. The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy also welcomed today′s deal, saying it would act as a foundation for more humanitarian exchanges in the future. But, the opposition party said... it was unfortunate the two Koreas were unable to reach an agreement on holding the reunions on a regular basis. Title: Rival parties prepare for upcoming parliamentary audit Meanwhile,... lawmakers have laid out plans for their annual audit of state affairs, which gets started in just two days, with representatives from r