Seoul: South Korea's ruling party has called on North Korea to engage in military talks, as reported by local media. The Democratic Party (DP), led by floor leader Kim Byung-kee, emphasized the importance of North Korea responding promptly to South Korea's proposal.

According to Anadolu Agency, Kim Byung-kee stated that this proposal represents South Korea's first official attempt to initiate talks with North Korea since President Lee Jae Myung assumed office. He highlighted that resuming inter-Korean dialogue would be a significant step forward. Kim's remarks were made during a policy coordination meeting held at the National Assembly.

The call for talks follows Seoul's proposal on Monday, which suggested holding military discussions with Pyongyang. The aim of these talks is to address issues related to the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) to prevent potential conflicts near the inter-Korean border.

In response to North Korea's criticisms of the recent US-South Korea summit, Kim mentioned that Pyongyang could express its concerns during the proposed inter-Korean talks. If North Korea agrees to the military discussions, it would be the first such dialogue since the general-level military talks held in 2018.

Since the year 2000, the two Koreas have participated in two ministerial-level and approximately 40 working-level military talks, underscoring the ongoing efforts to maintain communication and address military concerns on the Korean Peninsula.