EARLY EDITION 18:00 S. Korea lays out reunification blueprint for 2015
Early Edition 18:00 Our top stories tonight... Hoping for a single Korea one day, South Korean government ministries and agencies discuss ways to reunite the divided peninsula. A growing number of start-ups in Korea seem to be getting extra leverage in the battle against dominant conglomerates, thanks to greater government support. Various reports suggest a Korean teenager that went missing Turkey might have joined the Islamic State in Syria. These stories and more coming up on Early Edition at Six. Title: S. Korea lays out reunification blueprint for 2015 The South Korean government has many things on its to-do list when it comes to reunifying the two Koreas. And on Monday,... the related diplomatic ministries rolled up its sleeves in their efforts to better prepare for a possible, future reunification. Our Hwang Sung-hee starts us off. In the 70th year after the division of the Korean Peninsula, the unification ministry wants to launch a new era of reunification. Various events with North Korea are part of the plan, including a test run of a railway across the inter-Korean border around Liberation Day in August. The train will take off from Seoul and make stops at the North Korean border town of Kaesong and the capital Pyongyang before its final stop at Sinuiju. Sound unrealistic? Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae says the ministry has all the data it needs. "There will need to be discussions between South and North Korea on the issue. But once North Korea agrees, I think the project won′t be hard to carry out." In its talks with the North, South Korea is seeking fundamental solutions to humanitarian issues like reunions for war-separated families. It is also willing to discuss more aid to Pyongyang. The idea includes the construction of multiple-farm complexes in North Korea and training for its workers. "We are planning to extend development assistance to North Korea to help it build the groundwork for an autogenic capability." To ensure these reunification efforts will continue past the current administration, the government plans to introduce new legislation. This includes training personnel to prepare for reunification and designating officials at each government ministry. But most of these plans need the cooperation of North Korea, which is still sitting on South Korea′s month-old offer for talks. Hwang Sung-hee, Arirang News. Title: President Park urges officials to create conditions for inter-Korean dialogue In response to those plans,... President Park Geun-hye says,... now is the time for the two Koreas to start discussing preparations for a peaceful unification. She then called on officials to find ways to bring North Korea into a dialogue. Pyongyang has yet to respond to Seoul′s proposal for talks on inter-Korean issues,... including the resumption of reunions for families separated by the Korean War. President Park then emphasized South Korea should also take the lea
