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South Korea will provide vaccines against hepatitis B for more than 1 million North Korean children, a Seoul official said Tuesday, in the latest conciliatory gesture toward the communist neighbor.
The vaccines, worth 1.06 billion won ($942,300), will be delivered to the North through international relief agencies in the South as early as this month, said the official at Seoul‘s Unification Ministry, which handles relations with Pyongyang.
The announcement comes a week after South Korea authorized the resumption of some $6.94 million worth of medical aid to the communist country through the World Health Organization. It also comes as Seoul has recently pledged a principled but flexible policy toward the North after months of tension and sanctions against Pyongyang following two deadly attacks on the South last year. It is the first time South Korea is providing vaccines to the North since the attack on Yeonpyeong Island.
Meanwhile, a group of South Korean historians and cultural artifact experts traveled to North Korea yesterday to conduct a joint safety survey of the site of an ancient royal palace in the communist state, officials said.
The visit was to follow up on a meeting held in North Korea on Oct. 28 between historians of the two Koreas where they agreed to a quick resumption of a long-stalled inter-Korean project to excavate the site. The two Koreas launched the project to uncover the remains of Manwoldae, the royal palace of the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), in the North Korean border town of Kaesong in 2007.
(Yonhap News)
　
Korea, US to Simplify Immigration Screening for Travelers
During the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Hawaii this past weekend, Korea and the US agreed to simplify the immigration screening process, for Korean and American travelers.
The two sides plan to introduce, an automated immigration screening system by January of next year, that will allow so-called “trusted travelers” to pass through immigration without a face-to-face interview.
To become a “trusted traveler,” individuals are required to register their fingerprints, photo and other physical data. They must also be clear of any travel restrictions, bans or serious criminal offenses.
But an official in Seoul has reportedly said talks with Washington are still underway to determine what kind of physical information should be collected and how to verify a person‘s identity. The US government reportedly suggested the automated screening system to all member countries at the APEC summit, then expressed its intent to test run the program with Korea.
(Arirang News)