South Korea proposes talks with DPRK amid border tensions
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South Korea has proposed military talks with the DPRK to reduce tensions and clarify the military demarcation line, following rising concerns of escalation in the DMZ.
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A South Korean army soldier patrols at the Unification Bridge, which leads to the Panmunjom border village in the Demilitarized Zone in Paju, South Korea. on June 16, 2020. (AP)
South Korea has proposed holding military talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to reduce tensions along their shared border and clarify the military demarcation line, following a series of alleged violations by DPRK troops in the demilitarized zone (DMZ), the South Korean Defense Ministry said on Monday.
In an official statement, the South Korean armed forces urged Pyongyang to engage in inter-Korean military dialogue to prevent accidental clashes and ease tensions near the DMZ. "Our armed forces officially propose holding talks between North and South Korean military departments to prevent accidental clashes and reduce military tension, as well as to discuss the establishment of a reference line for the military demarcation line," the Defense Ministry said.
The ministry suggested that the meeting could take place at the Panmunjom border crossing, with the date and time open for discussion, emphasizing the urgency of a prompt response from Pyongyang to help restore trust and improve stability on the Korean Peninsula.
The proposed talks also aim to revive channels of communication that have eroded since the partial suspension of a key inter-Korean military agreement.
In 2018, both Koreas signed a military accord that established buffer zones along the military demarcation line on land and the Northern Limit Line at sea, aimed at reducing the risk of accidental engagements. However, in 2023, South Korea suspended parts of the agreement.
With tensions simmering, Seoul’s latest initiative seeks to reestablish guardrails against escalation.
DPRK launches rocket artillery
On a related note, amid border tensions between the North and South, earlier this month, the DPRK fired several rounds of rocket artillery toward the waters off its western coast, an action coinciding with the arrival of US War Secretary Pete Hegseth at the inter-Korean border.
According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff on November 4, around ten rounds were launched from multiple rocket launchers into the northern part of the Yellow Sea, roughly an hour before Hegseth visited the Joint Security Area at Panmunjom. The DPRK’s exercise occurred as Washington and Seoul held high-level talks on military cooperation and the continued stationing of US troops on the peninsula.
According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, around ten rounds were launched from multiple rocket launchers into the northern part of the Yellow Sea, roughly an hour before Hegseth visited the Joint Security Area at Panmunjom.
