South Korea proposes military talks with North Korea

The South Korean government has proposed holding military talks with North Korea later this week, the first time new President Moon Jae-in's government has made such a proposition to Pyongyang.

South Korea said it wants to stop hostile military activities at the border between the two countries; earlier this month, Moon suggested ending these acts on July 27 to mark the anniversary of the 1953 armistice agreement. "Talks and cooperation between the two Koreas to ease tension and bring about peace on the Korean peninsula will be instrumental for pushing forth a mutual, virtuous cycle for inter-Korea relations and North Korea's nuclear problem," South Korea's Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon said Monday.

North Korea has not responded to the offer, but Pyongyang previously said it will not enter any discussions with South Korea until the country returns 12 waitresses who defected to South Korea in 2016 after leaving a restaurant North Korea operates in China; North Korea says they were all abducted.

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