South Korea on Friday proposed military talks with North Korea to prevent accidental border clashes as tensions rise following a mine blast that injured South Korean troops in the Demilitarized Zone.
The talks would seek to confirm the precise location of the Military Demarcation Line and discuss restoring military communication lines, Kim Hong-cheol, deputy minister for national defense policy, said.
“If necessary, trilateral talks involving the United Nations Command are also possible,” Kim said. “The specific schedule, venue and other details could be discussed through Panmunjom.”
The proposal follows a Sept. 21 mine explosion during a South Korean search operation in the DMZ. A military investigation linked the incident to mines planted by the North south of the MDL, Kim said. Pyongyang has denied responsibility.
Kim warned that the two sides still differed in their understanding where the MDL is in some sections. Without measures to resolve those differences, troops would operate according to their respective understanding of where the line lies, increasing the risk of accidental clashes, he said.
“Given the military standoff between the two Koreas along the MDL, it is difficult to predict what further incidents could occur if this situation remains unaddressed,” Kim said. “Any resulting harm would not be limited to one side.”
He said South Korea had closely monitored North Korean troops’ construction of tactical roads and fences, mine-laying and incursions across the line over the past several years.
The recent increases in North Korean activity near the MDL and in South Korean warning broadcasts and warning shots were also linked to the unresolved situation, he added.
Seoul proposed military talks last November to address differences over the line’s location, but Pyongyang has not responded positively, Kim said.
The latest offer comes after Kim Yo-jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister and director of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea’s General Affairs Department, said the North would resume propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts along the border this month.
She has also warned that Pyongyang is considering deploying additional tactical strike assets along the border. In a series of statements, she has reaffirmed plans to continue border fortifications aimed at permanently separating the two Koreas, reiterating the North’s position that the South is a hostile state.
cheesuk@heraldcorp.com