The Republic of Korea (ROK) on Monday proposed military talks with North Korea along the Military Demarcation Line to prevent border clashes, Reuters reported.
The proposal is Seoul’s first direct overture to Pyongyang since President Lee Jae Myung took office in June.
Kim Hong-cheol, ROK’s deputy minister for national defense policy, said the military wants talks to set a clear baseline for the border. He said the move aims to reduce tensions on the peninsula and rebuild military trust. The deputy minister also said Seoul is open to deciding the venue and schedule with the North.
The proposal comes after a rise in incidents near the border. The Republic of Korea says North Korean troops crossed the border line ten times this year. The number exceeds last year’s total. ROK officials say many original markers from 1953 no longer exist, which creates confusion and heightens the risk of confrontation.
Kim said North Korean soldiers continue to lay mines, build roads, and put up new fences along the front line. He said these activities coincide with the repeated incursions.
He said the two sides hold different views of the boundary in some areas because the markers disappeared over time.
Direct military communication between the Koreas is cut. Seoul plans to deliver the proposal through the United Nations Command.
North Korea has ignored all offers for dialogue since late 2023. Kim Jong Un said at the time that the two Koreas are separate and hostile nations.
