South Korea has asked North Korea to grant immunity to the South Korean officers who will be posted in the liaison office the two Koreas recently agreed to open in the North's Gaeseong Industrial Complex.

According to a source close to the matter, articles regarding immunity for South Korean officers were included in the joint liaison office agreement that South Korea proposed to North Korea in the high-level talks that took place last Friday. 

Articles regarding immunity from arrest and detention, guaranteeing safe passage and communications and stating an exemption from customs were said to have been included in the agreement. The included provisions effectively imply that South Korean officers at the liaison office should be granted immunity to the same extent that the Vienna Convention grants protection to diplomats.

Though North Korea has promised the safety of South Korean officials in similar past agreements, there has never before been any clear legal grounds for South Korea to ask for the return of its officials if they were arrested or detained.

North Korea's reaction to the proposal is unclear, but an official from the Unification Ministry said that they would continue their talks with the North regarding matters including the protection of South Korean officers.

[Photo : YONHAP News]