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South Korean Minister of Unification Cho Myoung-gyon (left) shakes hands with Ri Sonn-gwon

Following the agreement reached in the high-level inter-Korean talks, South Korea’s Defense Ministry has begun the basic preparations for holding military talks.

“We’ve been at work on the practical preparations for military talks with North Korea, including the agenda and format, since we proposed them to the North in July 2017. We will move forward with these in line with the North’s response and the present circumstances and environment,” an official with the Defense Ministry said on Jan. 10. Thus far, there has reportedly been no contact between North and South Korean officials to organize the military talks.

The inter-Korean military talks are likely to be held in tandem with the inter-Korean working-level talks aimed at discussing North Korea’s participation in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. “If talks are held between military officials, there will be an effort not to focus solely on military issues but to pursue progress in inter-Korean dialogue overall,” a military official said.

North and South Korea held seven rounds of general-level talks between 2004 and 2007, during the presidency of Roh Moo-hyun. It’s also unclear whether these military talks will follow the precedent of general-level talks or what their agenda will be.

One prediction is that North Korea will ask for the removal of the propaganda loudspeakers set up along the military demarcation line. Another is that the delay of the South Korea-US joint military exercises until after the Olympics could serve as an opportunity for a broader pursuit of peace on the Korean Peninsula.

“The success of the Pyeongchang Olympics requires cooperation between the North and South Korean militaries in a large number of areas, including the overland transportation of the North Korean team of athletes. The primary focus of the military talks will be on supporting this. The talks will start with the easy stuff and proceed by stages to high-level talks,” said an official with the Defense Ministry.

By Park Byong-su, senior staff writer

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