N. Korea proposes talks with S. Korea over military hotlines

SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Friday proposed to South Korea that the
two sides hold working-level military talks to discuss ways of improving military
hotlines, South Korea's Defense Ministry said.
"Whether to accept the proposal has not yet been decided," an official at the
ministry said, adding that related government agencies will hold a meeting to
decide whether to make a counterproposal to the North.
Currently, the two countries have a total of nine military hotlines, one of which
is out of service due to technical problems.
Last month, officials from the two Koreas met for the first inter-Korean military
dialogue in eight months, but the talks ended abruptly without any significant
progress after the North's delegates warned of "grave consequences" for Seoul's
spreading of propaganda leaflets.
North Korea has cut off all dialogue with the South since Seoul's Lee Myung-bak
administration was inaugurated in February vowing to take a firmer stance against
the communist North than its liberal predecessors.
October's meeting was the first inter-Korean dialogue since President Lee took
office. The last round of military talks were held on Jan. 25.
sam@yna.co.kr
(END)