South and North Korea have agreed to cooperate on protecting their forests along the inter-Korean border and other areas from damage caused by blight and harmful insects.

The two Koreas on Wednesday adopted a joint statement to that effect after marathon working-level talks that lasted over 12 hours on the southern side of the truce village of Panmunjeom.

The two sides agreed to conduct on-site inspections of those areas together in mid-July, while South Korea will produce necessary measures for pest control. 

South and North Korea also agreed to discuss other forestation issues including modernizing the North's tree nurseries and preventing forest fires. They agreed to actively exchange the technology and expertise needed to grow and protect their forests. 

They added that they will continue to consult with each other to address any problems that could arise in implementing those agreements.

South Korea's delegation was led by Ryu Kwang-soo, vice minister of the Korea Forest Service, while the North was represented by Kim Song-jun, a senior official at the North's ministry of environmental protection. 

[Photo : YONHAP News]