Seoul proposed military talks with Pyongyang to “mutually confirm the precise location” of their border and discuss restoring communication channels, after an explosion in the DMZ further strained relations.
Tensions between the two Koreas have soared since the South last month blamed the blast inside the heavily fortified Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) separating the countries on landmines laid by the North, an accusation it has fiercely rejected.
The South Korean defence ministry “formally proposes holding military talks with North Korea to mutually confirm the precise location of the land Military Demarcation Line (MDL) and discuss ways to restore military communication lines and prevent accidental clashes in border areas,” Kim Hong-cheol, deputy defence minister for policy, told reporters yesterday.
The proposal comes just days after Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korea’s leader, announced that Pyongyang had moved new troop units into “firing position” along the border.
Seoul’s defence ministry said yesterday it was difficult to predict “what further incidents could occur if this situation is allowed to continue unaddressed”.
The ministry said that “three-way talks involving the United Nations Command would also be possible”.
“Specific dates and locations could be discussed through Panmunjom,” said Hong-cheol, referencing the symbolic truce village where troops from both Koreas stand face-to-face.
He added that they hoped for “a positive response from North Korea”.
Seoul’s military on Tuesday accused Pyongyang of attempting to shift the blame for escalating military tensions, while confirming the use of loudspeakers and warning shots as “legitimate defensive measures to prevent North Korean troops from crossing the MDL and to drive back troops that have crossed it”.
Pyongyang has rejected claims it was behind the explosion that injured three South Korean soldiers inside the DMZ and mockingly dismissed calls for an apology.
The country on Monday called the situation along the border “grave”. — AFP
