Early Edition 18:00

It′s 6 in the evening on Tuesday, October 7th here in Korea. Live from Seoul, I′m Laah Hyun-kyung.
And I′m Daniel Choy. Thanks for joining us.
Title: Will S. Korea ease sanctions on N. Korea?
We begin with the inter-Korean high-level talks that will come later this month or in early November.
Watchers say Pyongyang will be asking Seoul to lift sanctions... that were imposed on the regime back in 2010.
Arirang′s unification ministry correspondent Hwang Sung-hee has our top story.
When officials from the North and South sit down for talks in the coming weeks,... the easing of sanctions imposed by Seoul four years ago will be a top priority for North Korea.
The sanctions,... instituted in response to the North′s sinking of a South Korean warship,... ban nearly all inter-Korean economic activities except those within the Kaesong Industrial Complex.
Seoul says Pyongyang must assume responsibility for its involvement in the 2010 incident.

"For the May 24th sanctions to be lifted, our stance is that North Korea must first take responsible steps that can be fully accepted by the South Korean public."

Considering North Korea had been raking in three billion U.S. dollars annually from cross-border trade before the sanctions, its losses amount to at least 15 billion dollars.
In that time, Pyongyang′s dependence on China has increased,... its trade with Beijing standing at around six-and-a-half billion dollars last year.
Addressing concerns that the sanctions are standing in the way of improving inter-Korean ties, President Park Geun-hye has shown some flexibility.
South Korean companies are taking part in a fresh trilateral project with Russia and North Korea,... building a railway running from the North Korean port of Rajin to the Russian town of Khasan.
But before South Korea lifts any sanctions, it will also have to take into consideration the handful of international sanctions that have been slapped on Pyongyang over the years.
Hwang Sung-hee, Arirang News.
Title: Koreas exchange fire after North Korean patrol boat crosses sea border
Meanwhile, a North Korean patrol boat crossed south of the de facto maritime border in the West Sea earlier in the day... exchanging fire with the South Korean military.
South Korea′s Joint Chiefs of Staff says... warning messages were given and shots were fired.
The North Korean vessel returned fire... but turned back a short time later.
Although it′s not rare to see this type of incursion by North Korea,… it could be seen as a mixed signal… as it comes just a few days after three top North Korean officials made a surprise visit to Seoul.
Title: Parliamentary audit kicks off Tuesday for 20 days
Korea′s parliament kicked off its annual audit of a record 6-hundred-72 government offices and agencies on this Tuesday.
Our National Assembly correspondent Ji Myung-kil reports on what was discussed on day one.
Twelve of 16 parliamentary standing committees got st

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