The proposal follows Pyongyang’s announcement that it has moved new military units into firing positions along the border.
South Korea has proposed holding military talks with North Korea to calm rising tensions along their heavily fortified border.
Seoul announced on Friday that it has invited Pyongyang to discuss restoring communication channels. The offer comes as military activity on the border increases.
According to Kim Hong-cheol, deputy minister for national defence policy, the talks would aim to “mutually confirm” the precise location of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), “discuss ways to restore military communication lines and prevent accidental clashes in border areas.”
He said that “specific dates and locations could be discussed through Panmunjom,” referring to the symbolic truce village where the two Koreas’ soldiers stand face to face.
The South also indicated openness to three‑way discussions involving the United States‑led United Nations Command and expressed hope for “a positive response from North Korea.”
It remains unclear whether Pyongyang will accept the invitation. Leader Kim Jong Un has taken a hardline stance toward Seoul and has suspended most dialogue and cooperation in recent years.
Meanwhile, North Korea has heightened its military activity along the border, a trend that continues.
On Wednesday, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of the North Korean leader, announced that new military units have been moved into firing positions along the frontier.
In recent months, the border has been reinforced with mines, barbed‑wire fences, tactical roads, anti‑tank walls and other fortifications, making it one of the world’s most heavily armed frontiers.
Tensions escalated last month when three South Korean soldiers were injured by explosions near the Military Demarcation Line in the western part of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
Seoul attributed the blast to landmines placed by the North and demanded an apology, a claim Pyongyang vehemently rejected.
The Ministry of National Defence said on Friday it was difficult to predict “what further incidents could occur if this situation is allowed to continue unaddressed.”
The ministry added that a similar proposal for talks last year went unanswered by Pyongyang.
President Lee Jae Myung has called on the North to return to dialogue, but Kim Yo Jong dismissed bilateral talks as “the climax of the farce.”
