South Korea invites North to Defence Dialogue at DMZ military talks

SEOUL - South Korea has delivered a letter from its Vice Minister of National Defence, Suh Choo-suk, inviting a North Korean delegation to attend the Seoul Defence Dialogue in Seoul from September 12 to 14.

The letter was delivered during a ninth round of military talks between North and South Korea at the Peace House on the South’s side of the Panmunjeom Truce Village.

Major General Kim Do-gyun, head of the South Korean delegation, said after the meeting: “We reviewed progress made after the last general-grade military talks in June. We discussed the withdrawal of border guard posts in the JSA on a trial basis, the halting of hostile acts in the West Sea, and the joint excavation of war remains in the DMZ.”

The JSA, or Joint Security Area (often called the Truce Village of Panmunjom), is used by the two Koreas for diplomatic engagements.

The leader of the North Korean delegation, Lieutenant General An Ik San, said: “The meeting was very productive and it actually brought joy to the people in both North and South.” www.koreanet.kr (ATI).