The Albany Gazette - South Korea proposes holding border talks with North

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 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.

- Grave situation -

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".

Jin Yong-sung, chairman of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, also ordered the military to "respond with firm resolve" should North Korea use Seoul's actions as a pretext for aggressive action.

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", saying it was considering deploying additional "tactical strike means" to the area.

On Thursday, Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, said the North would place loudspeakers on standby along the border "within days" and had put unspecified "new counter means" on alert.

South Korea's foreign ministry also said Thursday it planned to send a letter to the president of the UN Security Council later in the day over the landmine incident, which it called a "clear violation of the armistice agreement".

President Lee Jae Myung has called for the North to return to dialogue, an overture Kim Yo Jong later slammed as "the climax of the farce".

(P.Clark--TAG)