On August 5, 1997, the first preparatory meeting on the North Korean Quartet was held in New York.

Four Party Representatives Attending the First Preparatory Meeting

On August 5-7 1997, representatives of the four countries, the United States, North Korea and South Korea, held their first preparatory meeting on the North Korean Quartet at Columbia University in New York, Korea, for the first time since the 1953 North Korean ceasefire agreement was signed.

During the meeting, the representatives of the four sides outlined their respective principles on the establishment of the Korean Peninsula peace mechanism and the holding of the four-party talks, discussing the timing, level, location, way of operation and topics. After three days of intense consultation, the representatives of the four sides have reached a preliminary understanding on other issues in addition to the issues of the talks. The four sides decided to hold a second preparatory meeting in New York in mid-September, focusing on discussing non-consensual talks. The four sides also agreed that within six weeks after the preparatory meeting reached a package of agreements on all issues, the formal meeting of the four-party talks will be held in Geneva, and the parties will send senior officials authorized by the Foreign

The North Korean Quartet talks were held on the initiative of U.S. President Clinton and South Korean President Kim Jong-il in April 1996, with the aim of replacing the ceasefire agreement with a new peace mechanism.