[Anchor]

Regarding the landmine explosion on the western front that occurred a month ago, the Ministry of National Defense has proposed military talks between South and North Korea. The ministry suggested clarifying the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), citing differing claims over the line that led to the incident, though it remains uncertain whether North Korea will accept the offer.

Kim Taehun, defense affairs reporter, reports.

[Reporter]

Yesterday (October 23), the Ministry of National Defense proposed military talks with North Korea regarding the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

The ministry added that three-party talks including the United Nations Command, which is responsible for managing the MDL, are also possible.

[Kim Hong-cheol / Deputy Minister for National Defense Policy: (We propose) holding inter-Korean military talks to mutually verify the clear location of the terrestrial Military Demarcation Line, restore military communication lines, and discuss measures to prevent accidental clashes in the border area....]

The defense ministry stressed the need to clearly establish the MDL, noting that differing claims regarding its location among South Korea, North Korea, and the UN Command led to mishaps such as the landmine explosion on the western front on September 21.

[Kim Hong-cheol / Deputy Minister for National Defense Policy: Without extraordinary measures, troops will operate based on their respective perceived locations, which is a factor that increases the likelihood of accidental clashes.]

In fact, the South Korean military assesses that North Korea has laid 960,000 landmines in the DMZ since 2024 as part of its so-called "border fortification" efforts, with a considerable number of them buried south of the MDL.

The military determined that the landmine explosion on the western front was triggered by one of those mines.

While military tensions between the two Koreas are rising as North Korea warned in a recent statement that it would resume loudspeaker broadcasts toward the South, the South Korean government has only set a policy of "proportional response" without finding a clear breakthrough.

Yesterday's proposal for inter-Korean military talks is also interpreted as a kind of exit strategy put forward before the situation deteriorates further.

However, it remains questionable whether North Korea, which did not respond to the defense ministry's proposal for military talks in November last year, will accept this latest offer.

Reported by Choi Dae-woong | Video by Choi Jin-hwa