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South Korea will reportedly propose holding regular inter-Korean defense meetings during the upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang from October 2 to 4. In an effort to promote military reconciliation and cooperation with the North, the South has sought to continue military dialogue since the first summit in 2000. Inter-Korean military talks have been ruptured since the two sides held their first meeting in Jeju from September 25-26, 2000, as Pyongyang has rejected them.

A source at Cheong Wa Dae, also known as the Blue House, said that opening another round of South-North military talks will be one of the core issues on the agenda at the forthcoming summit, adding that the two Koreas are expected to reach an agreement on it as early as possible to reduce military tensions on the Korean peninsula.

According to an official at the National Defense Ministry, Seoul is aiming to reach an agreement on principles for resolving sensitive military issues, including the Northern Limit Line and arms reduction, during the second summit and hopes to hold the second round of military talks in order to discuss the details.

The 1991 South-North Basic Agreement stated that a joint military committee will handle tension-reducing measures, but during the first summit in 2000, the two sides proposed to hold inter-Korean defense ministerial meetings.

A security expert stressed that ministerial talks would be more a appropriate forum for discussing military issues than the joint military committee, adding that it will be necessary to discuss a plan for making high-ranking military officials participate in the talks, considering the status of the North’s defense ministry.

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