Asia-Pacific

ROK, DPRK agree to meet for volcano talks

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-04-07 14:37

SEOUL - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday accepted the Republic of Korea (ROK)'s proposal to hold a second round of talks next week over a joint research into volcanic activities at the highest mountain on the Korean peninsula.

The DPRK agreed to meet next Tuesday in the DPRK's Kaesong to further advance discussions over a possibility of volcanic eruptions of Mount Paekdu, according to the unification ministry in Seoul.

The previous round of volcano talks, proposed by Pyongyang, brought together experts from both sides of the border in the ROK's Munsan late last month amid rising concern following the devastating earthquake and tsunami that ravaged neighboring Japan.

The 2,740-meter mountain, which sits on the DPRK border with China, last erupted in 1903 and has since been inactive, but experts have warned it might have an active core and a potential eruption would create a greater chaos than the Icelandic volcanic eruption last year.