BREAKING S. Korea proposes military talks with N. Korea over border conflict issue
Kim Hong-chul, director general for defense policy at the Ministry of National Defense, speaks during a briefing held at the defense ministry, Seoul, Friday. Yonhap
South Korea on Friday proposed to hold military talks with North Korea to prevent accidental clashes stemming from unclear border lines in the Military Demarcation Line (MDL).
The proposal comes as tensions along the border continue to escalate after three South Korean soldiers clearing a patrol route were injured in a North Korean mine explosion south of the MDL within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) amid Pyongyang's so-called border fortifications.
“South Korea's defense ministry is formally proposing official military talks with North Korea. Seoul aims to verify the precise location of the land border, restore military hotlines and discuss measures to prevent accidental clashes in border areas,” Kim Hong-chul, director general for defense policy at the Ministry of National Defense, said in a statement.
“The United Nations Command (UNC) can also join the discussion if necessary with specific dates and venues to be arranged through Panmunjeom.”
The statement came about a month after the DMZ mine explosion, which South Korea's defense ministry concluded was caused by the North’s land mine and the UNC confirmed as a violation of the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement.
The South has since demanded an apology from the North, which has denied responsibility for the blast. In a related move, Seoul has sent a letter to the president of the U.N. Security Council on Thursday over last month's land mine explosion incident.
The proposal for military talks also followed recent statements from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's powerful sister, Kim Yo-jong, who said Pyongyang will resume propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts against Seoul, claiming that the South had wrongfully accused North Korean troops of crossing the border.