North Korea, U.S.-led UN Command to meet over sinking of ship

In this photo taken on July 8, 2010 , a group of South Korean Internet-savvy citizens, such as bloggers, Twitter users and online media reporters, invited by the Defence Ministry, visit the goods and the wreckage of the naval vessel Cheonan that the government claims was sunk by a North Korean torpedo in March, at the Second Fleet Command of Navy in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul. AP.

North Korea and the American—led U.N. Command will meet this week to discuss the deadly sinking of a South Korean warship blamed on Pyongyang, the U.N. Command said on Monday.

The announcement came three days after the U.N. Security Council approved a statement that condemned the sinking but stopped short of directly blaming North Korea.

An international investigation concluded in May that North Korea torpedoed the vessel near the tense Korean sea border, killing 46 sailors. Pyongyang flatly denies it was responsible for the sinking and has warned any punishment would trigger war.

Late last month, the U.N. Command, which oversees an armistice that ended the Korean War in 1953, proposed general—level talks with North Korea to discuss the warship sinking. The North first rejected the offer, criticizing the U.S. for trying to meddle in inter—Korean affairs under the name of the U.N.

But North Korea changed its position on Friday and proposed colonel—level talks on Tuesday at the Korean border village of Panmunjom to prepare for the general—level talks. The U.N. Command said in a statement that the sides will meet from 10 a.m. (0100 GMT).

The U.S. stations 28,500 troops in South Korea, a legacy of the Korean War.