South Korea invites North for military talks over border

The proposal comes days after Pyongyang says it moved new military units into ‘firing positions’ along the border.

Tensions between South and North Korea have escalated sharply [File: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images]

South Korea has proposed holding military talks with North Korea in a bid to calm rising tensions over their heavily fortified border.

Seoul said on Friday that it had invited Pyongyang to discuss restoring communication channels. The offer was made as military activity on the border increases.

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Talks with North Korea would aim to “mutually confirm” the precise location of the land Military Demarcation Line (MDL), “discuss ways to restore military communication lines and prevent accidental clashes in border areas”, Kim Hong-cheol, deputy minister for national defence policy, told reporters.

“Specific dates and locations could be discussed through Panmunjom,” Kim said, referring to the symbolic truce village on the North-South border where soldiers from both Koreas stand face to face.

He added that the South was open to three-way talks involving the United States-led United Nations Command and hoped for “a positive response from North Korea”.

It remains unclear whether North Korea would agree to talks. Leader Kim Jong Un has taken a hardline approach towards Seoul and suspended virtually all dialogue and cooperation with the South in recent years.

Meanwhile, Pyongyang has raised its military activity along the border and continues to do so.

On Wednesday, Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of the North Korean leader, announced that new military units have been moved into “firing positions” along the border.

Mines, barbed-wire fences, tactical roads, antitank walls and other fortifications have also been added to one of the world’s most heavily armed borders.

Tensions have worsened since last month when three South Korean soldiers were injured by explosions near the military demarcation line in the western section of the Demilitarized Zone, the buffer zone that runs between the Koreas, commonly known as the DMZ.

The South blamed the blast on landmines laid by the North and demanded an apology . Pyongyang has fiercely rejected the accusation.

Seoul’s Ministry of National Defence said on Friday that it was difficult to predict “what further incidents could occur if this situation is allowed to continue unaddressed”.

The ministry noted that a proposal for talks last year did not receive a response from Pyongyang.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has called for the North to return to dialogue. However, Kim Yo Jong responded by slamming the suggestion of bilateral talks as “the climax of the farce”.

就在平壤方面表示已将新的军事单位部署到边境沿线的“射击阵地”几天后，这项提议便随之而来。

韩国和朝鲜之间的紧张局势急剧升级。[图片来源：Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images]

韩国提议与朝鲜举行军事会谈，以缓和两国戒备森严的边境地区日益紧张的局势。

首尔方面周五表示，已邀请平壤方面讨论恢复沟通渠道的问题。此举正值边境军事活动日益频繁之际。

列表 1/4：朝鲜向海域发射多枚弹道导弹

据官方媒体报道，中朝两国通车鸭绿江新桥（共4条记录，此为第2条）。

专家称，中朝边境四座桥梁中的第三座可能对促进贸易作用甚微。

朝鲜将恢复宣传广播，韩国敦促双方对话（名单共4条，此为第4条）

韩国国防部副部长金洪哲告诉记者，与朝鲜的会谈旨在“相互确认”陆地军事分界线（MDL）的确切位置，“讨论恢复军事通信线路和防止边境地区发生意外冲突的方法”。

金正恩说：“具体日期和地点可以通过板门店进行商议。”他指的是位于南北边界的象征性停战村，朝韩士兵在那里面对面站着。

他还表示，韩国愿意与以美国为首的联合国军司令部举行三方会谈，并希望“朝鲜方面做出积极回应”。

目前尚不清楚朝鲜是否会同意进行对话。近年来，朝鲜领导人金正恩对首尔采取强硬立场，几乎暂停了与韩国的所有对话与合作。

与此同时，平壤加大了在边境地区的军事活动力度，并且仍在继续这样做。

周三，朝鲜领导人金正恩的妹妹、实力强大的金与正宣布，新的军事单位已部署到边境沿线的“射击阵地”。

在世界上武装最严密的边境之一，还增设了地雷、铁丝网、战术道路、反坦克墙和其他防御工事。

自上个月三名韩国士兵在非军事区（位于朝韩之间的缓冲区，俗称DMZ）西部军事分界线附近被爆炸炸伤以来，紧张局势进一步恶化。

南方方面指责朝鲜埋设地雷导致爆炸，并要求朝鲜道歉。平壤方面强烈否认了这一指控。

首尔国防部周五表示，很难预测“如果这种情况继续得不到解决，还会发生哪些进一步的事件”。

该部指出，去年提出的会谈提议没有得到平壤方面的回应。

韩国总统李在明呼吁朝鲜重返对话。然而，金与正回应称，双边会谈的提议是“这场闹剧的高潮”。