EARLY EDITION 18:00 Two Koreas lower defense postures to peacetime levels

ARIRANG NEWS 18:00 Welcome to our newscast. I′m Daniel Choy. Two Koreas lower defense postures to peacetime levels The militaries of both South and North Korea have returned to peacetime level defense postures. The moves are a natural progression of events after tensions between two sides were defused following Tuesday′s landmark deal, an agreement reached to end the hostilities and expand cross-border ties. According to a South Korean military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity Sunday, the highest alert level issued for front-line units including the ′Jindotgae-1′ have been lifted, while North Korea lifted its special duty order for front-line units as well as the quasi-war state declared by Kim Jong-un ahead of the deal. Two Koreas could arrange talks for unification ministers of both sides It seems the next round of high level talks between the two Koreas could center around the unification ministers of both sides. According to South Korean government sources, Seoul feels that discussions surrounding war-separated family reunions and Mount Kumgang tours should involve Hong Yong-pyo, the South′s Unification Minister and Kim Yang-gon..., head of the North′s United Front Department of the Korean Workers′ Party, responsible for South Korea related affairs. It added that high-level meetings, like the recent 2 plus 2 talks involving South Korean presidential security adviser Kim Kwan-jin and North Korean Army politburo chief Hwang Pyong-so,... are only necessary when inter-Korean tensions reach dangerous levels. However, it remains to be seen how Pyongyang responds to Seoul′s suggestion. Korea calls on Japan to take action over sex slave issue Korea has again urged Japan to take specific measures to resolve the issue of Korean women who were forced into sexual slavery for Japanese soldiers during World War Two. Korea′s foreign ministry spokesman Noh Kwang-il... said in a statement on Sunday the Japanese government must take concrete action to swiftly resolve the issue as stressed by President Park Geun-hye in her Liberation Day address on August 15th. Noh also urged Prime Minister Shinzo Abe′s administration to make sincere efforts to maintain the historical perceptions of past administrations. Korea′s Constitutional Court in 2011... ruled the Japanese government′s lack of effort to resolve the comfort women issue...unconstitutional. Rival parties at loggerheads before Sept. regular session Once again,... there is discord between Korea′s rival parties, this time…over the creation of a panel to review the government′s special allowances. They hope to reach an agreement on this key issue soon, as the National Assembly is set to kick off its regular session this week. Our Ji Myung-kil has more. The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy Party wants to set up a reform committee at the National Assembly to overhaul the government′s special allowances, which are granted to government officials and lawmak