By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter

Officials of South and North Korea will meet April 21 to discuss matters regarding the joint Gaeseong Industrial Complex in the North.

Pyongyang proposed Saturday a meeting at the Gaeseong complex, saying it has something important to notify the South regarding the joint project.

The North made the offer after a North Korean military officer renewed warnings against the South, saying it will consider Seoul's membership of the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) as a declaration of war.

The Seoul government, meanwhile, delayed an announcement about joining the PSI again until after the meeting. The announcement was originally scheduled to be made Sunday.

The Ministry of Unification said Sunday Pyongyang has not given details about the meeting and, therefore it could not confirm if the issue in question was related to a Hyundai Asan employee who has been detained by the North for 21 days.

Kim Young-tak, chief of the ministry's Gaeseong Industrial Complex Project Bureau, will lead the South Korean delegation to the meeting, the first non-military talks between the two Koreas since President Lee Myung-bak took office in February last year.

Government sources said there was no reason for the South to reject the North's call as President Lee has reiterated on several occasions that Seoul was willing to meet at anytime and anywhere for discussions on any topics to move South-North relations forward.

The North's offer came after a spokesman for the General Staff of the North Korean People's Army said in an interview with the North Korean Central News Agency, ``There is no limitation as far as our military's war capabilities go. President Lee should keep in mind that Seoul is just within a distance of 50 kilometers from the Demilitarized Zone.''

The South Korean military has been on high alert for possible provocative acts by the North.

Local defense analysts said that Pyongyang intended to escalate tensions with hostile statements in an effort to justify possible future military provocation on the peninsula after the Seoul joins the PSI.

South Korea remains unchanged in its plan to become a PSI member.

President Lee indicated his firm stance on joining the initiative, Sunday. Cheong Wa Dae sources say the President is trying to figure out an appropriate time for Korea to join the global non-proliferation program so as not to agitate the North.

Seoul initially planned to join the PSI right after the North's launch of a long-range missile, April 5.

hkang@koreatimes.co.kr