Military Proposes Talks with North Korea: "Let's Discuss Setting a Reference Line for the MDL"

Kim Hongcheol Briefs as Director General for Defense Policy

On November 17, the South Korean military proposed holding military talks with North Korea to discuss the establishment of a reference line for the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). Attention is focused on whether North Korea will respond, as it has been refusing all dialogue with the South, insisting on a relationship of 'hostile two states.'

Kim Hongcheol, Director General for Defense Policy, stated during a briefing at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, that "the South Korean military officially proposes holding inter-Korean military talks to discuss the establishment of a reference line for the MDL, in order to prevent accidental clashes and ease military tensions between the two Koreas."

This is the first time under the Lee Jaemyung administration that the government has proposed military talks to the North at the government level. Since 2000, inter-Korean military talks have included: two inter-Korean defense ministerial meetings, ten inter-Korean general-level military talks, and forty inter-Korean working-level military talks. The most recent inter-Korean military talks were the 10th general-level talks held in 2018 during the Moon Jaein administration.

Kim explained, "Recently, North Korean troops have been installing tactical roads and barbed wire fences and laying mines near the MDL within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). During these activities, some personnel have repeatedly crossed the MDL and entered our territory."

He continued, "In response, our military has been taking action according to operational procedures, issuing warning broadcasts and firing warning shots to ensure North Korean troops retreat north of the MDL. As North Korean incursions across the MDL and our military's responses continue, tensions within the DMZ are rising, and there are concerns that this could potentially escalate into a military clash between the two Koreas."

Kim noted that these repeated MDL incursions appear to be due to "differences in perception between the South and North regarding the boundary in some areas, as many of the 'MDL markers' installed at the time of the 1953 Armistice Agreement have been lost."

According to a Ministry of National Defense official, the MDL markers were installed in August 1953 under the supervision of the Military Armistice Commission after the signing of the Armistice Agreement. In 1973, while the United Nations Command was conducting maintenance, North Korean troops opened fire, and maintenance work has not been carried out since. The official explained, "In 2004, we worked with the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) to align the original MDL on maps with the actual terrain, and this is currently applied to our maps. We prioritize using MDL signposts, but if identification is difficult, we apply the MDL coordinates from military maps."

This latest proposal does not specify the level of the meeting-whether ministerial, general-level, or working-level-nor does it include details on the schedule or location. Kim stated, "Specific details such as the date and location of the talks can be discussed through Panmunjom," adding, "We hope for a positive and prompt response from the North to this proposal aimed at easing tensions and restoring military trust on the Korean Peninsula."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.