defense ministry-N Korea

▲ North Korean soldiers work on what appears to be a mission to construct tactical roads and fences near a border area, seen from South Korea's western border island of Ganghwa, in this photo taken Oct. 22, 2026. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korea renewed its offer Friday to hold military talks with North Korea to discuss their conflicting views on where the inter-Korean border sits, amid heightened tensions following last month's land mine blast inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

"Different perceptions remain over the Military Demarcation Line (MDL)," Deputy Defense Minister Kim Hong-cheol said in a press briefing, referring to the border line separating the two Koreas.

"South Korea's Defense Ministry hereby officially proposes holding inter-Korean military talks with North Korean authorities to jointly verify the locations of the land-based MDL, restore military communication lines and discuss measures to prevent accidental clashes along the border," he said.

Kim said trilateral dialogue involving the U.N. Command (UNC), which administers and enforces the Armistice Agreement governing the border area, can also be considered.

"If necessary, a trilateral meeting including the UNC is also possible," he said. "We expect a positive response from the North's side."

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