Inter-Korean begin fifth round talks

South and North Korea have begun a fifth round of talks over the stalled Gaeseong Industrial Complex. The two sides held two sessions in Gaeseong Monday morning and exchanged revised draft agreements, accoridng to Korea’s (KBS WORLD) website. In the first session, the South Korean delegation presented its revision to the draft agreement proposed by North Korea last week. The North reviewed the revision and presented its own counteroffer. The two Koreas will continue to coordinate their stances through afternoon sessions. The negotiations follow a series of meetings in which the two sides failed to narrow differences over the status of the inter-Korean factory park. The previous meeting last Wednesday led to fruitless talks over the content and wording of draft agreements exchanged by each side. The South stressed a deal must include substantive measures to normalize complex operations and guarantee the prevention of a future shutdown. The North reiterated its position to get the factory park running again as soon as possible, without offering preventative measures requested by the South. Analysts say Monday’s meeting will be key in determining whether the troubled inter-Korean factory park operates again.