At the time, the two Koreas agreed to cooperate on the matter only on broad terms, entrusting its details to a subsequent working-level meeting at Mt. Kumgang. Although the cooperation in the fisheries field could benefit both sides under a scheme in which South Korea will return part of its profits from fishing to the North in return for fishing rights, experts say some major hurdles still exist. First of all, the scheme is likely to spark strong protests among South Korean fishermen in Kangwon Province whose fishing areas are south of the North Korean waters in question.
Allegations have it that much of the East Sea is already considered overfished.
Therefore, we must conduct an on-site inspection before making a decision,'' a South Korean official said, warning against any hasty conclusions. The proposal on fisheries is the latest in a series of Pyongyang's renewed momentum toward inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation. Last week, North Korea proposed holding the third Red Cross talks at Mt. Kumgang in late January and showed its willingness to activate economic cooperation with the South. The North also offered to exchange taekwondo troupes with South Korea under their earlier agreement.