S. Korea proposes military talks with N. Korea amid rise in border incursions

The South Korean flag flies over Daeseong-dong Village (right) facing the North Korean flag over Kijong-dong Village in the western section of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), as seen from Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Sept. 22. Yonhap

South Korea’s defense ministry proposed inter-Korean military talks on Monday in response to a recent spike in North Korean incursions across the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), warning that tensions along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) have reached a dangerous level.

The announcement followed several instances of North Korean troops crossing into the South Korean side of the MDL while constructing roads and fences, and laying land mines nearby.

The MDL is the precise physical boundary — marked by signposts — that serves as the de facto border separating the two Koreas. It is the centerline of the DMZ, the four-kilometer-wide, heavily fortified buffer area that extends two kilometers on either side of the MDL.

The South Korean military said it responded each time with warning shots in accordance with standard operating procedures, forcing the North Korean personnel to withdraw. However, the ministry cautioned that the repeated incursions and responses have increased the risk of unintended clashes between the two Koreas.

Kim Hong-chul, director general for defense policy at the Ministry of National Defense, said Seoul is officially proposing a meeting between military authorities to establish a mutually recognized baseline for the MDL, noting that many of the original boundary markers from the 1954 armistice have been lost over time.

He urged Pyongyang to respond swiftly and positively, adding that the details of the meeting could be coordinated through Panmunjeom.

Monday’s proposal is the first formal request for inter-Korean military talks in seven years. The last round of general-level talks, held in 2018, focused on easing tensions along the border and improving communication channels between the two militaries.

A defense ministry official said the government had previously attempted to address issues along the MDL through the United Nations Command’s communication channel with North Korea, but received no response from the North.

“The loss of hundreds of MDL markers installed after the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement has left several segments of the boundary unclear, leading the two sides to rely on different reference lines,” the ministry official said. This discrepancy, they said, has contributed to the recent increase in North Korean personnel crossing into the South’s side of the DMZ during ongoing construction work across the western, central and eastern fronts.

“The long-term loss of MDL markers has led to differences in how the line is recognized,” a senior defense official said, adding that the current situation has heightened the risk of accidental clashes. “This is why we believe military-level dialogue is necessary.”

The ministry emphasized that the proposal aims to reduce tensions and prevent unintended incidents, and urged North Korea to engage constructively.

Both the Ministry of Unification and the presidential office also voiced expectations that Pyongyang would respond positively to efforts to restore stability and military trust on the peninsula.