South Korea accepts North Korea's call for military talks

South Korea accepts North Korea's call for military talks

2011-01-21 08:38:37 GMT+7 (ICT)

SEOUL (BNO NEWS) -- South Korea on Thursday accepted North Korea's proposal for high-ranking military talks, the Yonhap News Agency reported.

North Korea sent a telegram signed by Kim Young-chun, minister of the People's Armed Forces, to South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin Thursday morning, proposing that high-level officials from the two Koreas hold dialogue to discuss bilateral military pending issues, ministry officials said.

"As the North fails to mention denuclearization in its talks proposal telegram, the (South Korean) government will propose denuclearization talks between high-ranking government officials to sound out the North's real intention on the issue," said a Unification Ministry official.

The proposal came after U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao urged the two Koreas to resume dialogue after their summit meeting in Washington on Wednesday.

"The Koreas have usually referred to talks between generals or higher as high-level military talks. North Korea's proposal can also be interpreted as referring to minister-level talks," Seoul's Deputy Defense Minister Chang Kwang-il said in an earlier media briefing.

Minister-level talks between the two Koreas have happened only twice in the past. 
The first occurred on Jeju Island in September 2000, and the second one in Pyongyang in November 2007.

North Korea asked the South to select the venue and date for the meeting.

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