Seoul: Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back opposed the idea of South Korea's unilateral suspension of military training near the tense inter-Korean border, citing the need to maintain readiness even when Seoul seeks to mend frayed ties with North Korea.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Ahn made the remark as Seoul has been pushing to resume dialogue with the North and restore a 2018 inter-Korean military tension reduction pact that was fully suspended under the previous administration in the face of North Korea's trash balloon campaign.

"Soldiers have to basically train," Ahn said in his first press conference with the defense press corps on Tuesday. "If both sides agree to suspend such training and North Korea ceases to do so, that could be another case, but we cannot unilaterally stop."

Ahn's remarks came just days after Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said his ministry is in talks with the defense ministry on suspending live-fire drills and military field training near the inter-Korean border.

Under the agreement, artillery and naval drills, as well as regiment-level field maneuvers, were banned due to land and maritime buffer zones set up in the area. No-fly zones had also been designated near the border to prevent accidental aircraft clashes.

The defense chief still emphasized the need to leave the door open for talks with the North, mentioning the option of restoring the suspended military tension reduction pact in a phased manner, without further elaboration.

Addressing South Korea's push to retake wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States, a policy task the Lee Jae Myung government has pledged to seek within Lee's five-year term, Ahn said both sides continue to hold discussions over the long-pending security issue.

"(South Korea) is pushing for wartime OPCON transfer in a systemic, stable and proactive manner under mutually agreed upon procedures and measures, and closely discussing the issue even at this moment," he said.