Key facts
- South Korea proposed military talks with North Korea to resolve border line disputes.
- The proposal aims to jointly verify the Military Demarcation Line (MDL).
- Restoring military communication lines and preventing accidental clashes are also agenda items.
- A trilateral meeting including the U.N. Command (UNC) is also possible.
SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Reuters) - South Korea's defense ministry again proposed on Friday military talks with North Korea to agree on the exact location of the land border between the two Koreas and to reduce the risk of accidental clashes. The proposal follows a landmine explosion in the demilitarized zone last month that injured South Korean soldiers. North Korean troops have been building tactical roads and fences and laying mines near the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in the DMZ separating the two Koreas in recent years, with Kim Hong-cheol, Deputy Minister for National Defense Policy, stating that different perceptions remain over the MDL. South Korea's Defense Ministry officially proposed holding inter-Korean military talks with North Korean authorities to jointly verify the locations of the land-based MDL, restore military communication lines and discuss measures to prevent accidental clashes along the border. A trilateral meeting including the U.N. Command (UNC), which administers and enforces the Armistice Agreement governing the border area, can also be considered.