South Korea’s military has officially proposed inter-Korean talks to establish a clear border line and prevent accidental clashes amid recent North Korean incursions.
SEOUL: South Korea’s military has officially proposed talks with North Korea to prevent accidental border clashes.
Defence officials cited recent incursions by North Korean troops while installing tactical roads, fences and laying mines as the reason for the proposal.
Deputy Minister for National Defence Policy Kim Hong-cheol announced the initiative during a Monday news briefing.
“To prevent accidental clashes and ease military tensions, our military officially proposes that the two sides hold inter-Korean military talks to discuss the establishment of a clear reference line for the MDL,” Kim said.
He explained that South Korean troops had fired warning shots and issued broadcasts to encourage North Korean soldiers to withdraw to their side during the recent incidents.
The military attributed the border crossings to the loss of many military demarcation line markers installed under the 1953 Armistice Agreement.
The proposed military talks follow President Lee Jae Myung’s earlier offer of broader discussions with North Korea without preconditions.
Lee has taken several tension-reduction measures since his June inauguration, including removing propaganda loudspeakers and banning anti-Pyongyang leaflet drops.
Pyongyang has not yet responded to Lee’s diplomatic overtures.
The military demarcation line lies within the four-kilometre-wide Demilitarised Zone that spans 250 kilometres across the Korean peninsula.
The two Koreas technically remain at war since the 1950-53 conflict ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.
