South Korea proposed on Friday military talks with North Korea 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 land mines 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 defense minister for policy, told reporters Friday.
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 Friday 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 Kim, referencing the symbolic truce village where troops from both Koreas stand face-to-face.
He added they hoped for “a positive response from North Korea.”
The South Korean defence ministry also noted that talks proposed last year with the North did not get a response from Pyongyang.
