US, Japan to Share Intelligence with South Korea
美国、日本与朝鲜共享情报
The United States, South Korea and Japan have agreed to share classified information about nuclear threats from North Korea. The U.S. Defense Department says the agreement took effect on Monday. The intelligence will pass through the Defense Department.
美国、朝鲜和日本达成一致协议：共享朝鲜核威胁的机密信息。美国国防部称周一这项协议正式生效。情报信息由国防部处理。
The new agreement links information-sharing agreements that already exist between the allies.
这项新协议链接两盟国之间已经存在的信息共享协议。
Kim Min-Seok is with South Korea’s Defense Ministry. He said the agreement does not force the countries to provide all of their related classified information. He says each country will decide what it releases.
韩国国防部部长金宽镇称协议并不是强迫各国提供相关的机密信息。每个国家可以自行决定他们要公布的信息。
He says “Military secrets are divided into first-, second- and third-level classified information, but the nation providing the information will decide on the level of classified material.”
他说：“军事机密信息分为一级机密、二级机密和三级机密信息，但是国家提供的信息会决定机密材料的等级。”
Also this week, South Korean officials called for new peace talks with North Korea in January. Ryoo Kihl-jaeis South Korea’s Unification Minister.
这周，韩国官员呼吁1月份与朝鲜进行新的和平谈话。韩国统一部长官柳吉。
He says “North and South Korea should meet face to face to draw up a plan for a peaceful unification. For this purpose, we make an official proposal for the North Korean government to have a conversation about mutual concerns between North and South. We especially hope this meeting can lessen the sadness of separated families before New Year’s Day.”
他说“朝韩应该面对面对话，就和平统一起草方案计划。为了这个目的，我们向朝鲜政府提出一项正式提议，就朝鲜和韩国互相关系的问题进行谈话。我们特别希望这次会议能够在元旦前减轻离散家人的痛苦和悲伤。”
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said North Korea should accept the proposal to open peace talks with the South. A UN statement said “renewed engagement and dialogue is the only way forward for building trust and promoting inter-Korean relations.”
联合国秘书长潘基文说朝鲜应该接受提议，与韩国进行和平对话。一份联合国的声明称“重新接触和对话是建立信任和推动朝韩关系的唯一出路。”
North Korea has yet to answer the call for peace talks.
朝鲜尚未对和平对话作出回应。
I’m Christopher Cruise.
我是克里斯托弗·克鲁斯。
VOA Correspondent Victoria Macchi reported this story from Washington.Christopher Cruise wrote it for VOA Learning English. George Grow edited the story.
_______________________________________________________________
Words from This Story
classified information – n. information that is kept secret from all but a fewpeople in the government
face to face – idiom used to describe a situation in which two people aretogether and looking at each other
draw up a plan – phrasal verb to compose or write in a set form; to write out
Do you agree with the decision by the United States, Japan and South Koreato share information about North Korea? Do you support peace talks betweenNorth and South Korea? We want to hear from you. Write to us in thecomments section.

US, Japan to Share Intelligence with South Korea

File - People watch a TV news program showing rockets launched by North Korea, at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, March 23, 2014. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

The United States, South Korea and Japan have agreed to share classified information about nuclear threats from North Korea. The U.S. Defense Department says the agreement took effect on Monday. The intelligence will pass through the Defense Department.

The new agreement links information-sharing agreements that already exist between the allies.

Kim Min-Seok is with South Korea’s Defense Ministry. He said the agreement does not force the countries to provide all of their related classified information. He says each country will decide what it releases.

He says “Military secrets are divided into first-, second- and third-level classified information, but the nation providing the information will decide on the level of classified material.”

Also this week, South Korean officials called for new peace talks with North Korea in January. Ryoo Kihl-jaeis South Korea’s Unification Minister.

He says “North and South Korea should meet face to face to draw up a plan for a peaceful unification. For this purpose, we make an official proposal for the North Korean government to have a conversation about mutual concerns between North and South. We especially hope this meeting can lessen the sadness of separated families before New Year’s Day.”

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said North Korea should accept the proposal to open peace talks with the South. A UN statement said “renewed engagement and dialogue is the only way forward for building trust and promoting inter-Korean relations.”

North Korea has yet to answer the call for peace talks.

I’m Christopher Cruise.

VOA Correspondent Victoria Macchi reported this story from Washington.Christopher Cruise wrote it for VOA Learning English. George Grow edited the story.

_______________________________________________________________

Words from This Story

classified information – n. information that is kept secret from all but a few people in the government

face to face – idiom used to describe a situation in which two people are together and looking at each other

draw up a plan – phrasal verb to compose or write in a set form; to write out

Do you agree with the decision by the United States, Japan and South Korea to share information about North Korea? Do you support peace talks between North and South Korea? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the comments section.