unification minister-N Korea

SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Yonhap) -- Unification Minister Chung Dong-young on Wednesday urged North Korea to accept the South's proposal last week for military talks on the inter-Korean border.

Seoul proposed the talks Friday, after a land mine blast inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on Sept. 21 wounded three South Korean soldiers, two of them seriously. The South wants to jointly verify where the land-based Military Demarcation Line (MDL) separating the two Koreas sits, restore military communication lines and discuss ways to prevent accidental clashes.

"South and North Korea should align their positions on the MDL through dialogue, and establish a communication system for peaceful management of the area as soon as possible," he said in an address read by a senior ministry official at the DMZ Open Eco Peace Forum in Goyang, just northwest of Seoul.

He warned the peace of everyday life, achieved a year ago when Seoul took down its border loudspeakers, is now at risk.

"Confrontation only escalates tensions," he said, adding it "does not do any good for either side."

Chung said he hoped the North would "respond positively" to the proposal. He also reaffirmed the government's commitment to safeguard people's lives and restore lasting peace by replacing the current armistice with a peace system.

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