Seoul's formal offer to Pyongyang
South Korea renewed its call on Friday for military talks with North Korea, aiming to resolve the two sides' conflicting views on the location of their shared border. The offer came as tensions ran high in the wake of a land mine explosion inside the Demilitarized Zone the previous month. Deputy Defense Minister Kim Hong-cheol presented the proposal at a press briefing in Seoul.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5][S6][S7][S8]
Kim acknowledged that the two Koreas still hold differing perceptions of the Military Demarcation Line, the boundary that divides them. Speaking for the Defense Ministry, he announced a formal proposal for inter-Korean military talks with North Korean authorities. The agenda he outlined centers on establishing together where the land-based MDL actually runs.[S1]
Hotlines, accidental clashes and a possible U.N. role
Beyond the border question, the proposed talks would cover reopening military communication lines between the two sides and exploring measures meant to stop accidental clashes along the frontier. Kim also said a three-way dialogue that brings in the U.N. Command could be considered. That command administers and enforces the Armistice Agreement that governs the border area.[S1]
The deputy minister indicated that a trilateral meeting involving the U.N. Command could be arranged if the situation calls for it, and he voiced hope that Pyongyang would answer the offer favorably. No response from North Korea was reported in the accounts available.[S1]
