North Korea says South must push liberalization

North Korea demanded Tuesday that South Korea lift martial law, Abolish military rule, free political prisoners, and stop what it called the persecution of South Korean patriots. At the ninth meeting of government officials this year at this truce village in the Demilitarized Zone, the Northern delegation devoted most of its time to condemning South Korean actions in crushing the May rebellion in Kwangju, the southern provincial capital.

The South Korean team raised the question of Northern infiltrators, including the dispatch of what it called a spy ship sunk last Saturday in which 9 of the 10 North Korean crew were killed. The Northern delegation made no comment.

The two delegations will meet again on possible unification Aug. 20.