Seoul: South Korea on Monday proposed holding military talks with North Korea to discuss how to clarify the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in a bid to prevent possible clashes near the inter-Korean border. The proposal was made amidst instances of North Korean soldiers, some of whom were armed, temporarily crossing the MDL while conducting activities near the border, such as clearing land or laying mines in the buffer zone. According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim Hong-cheol, deputy minister for national defense policy, officially suggested holding inter-Korean talks between military authorities to discuss how to establish the MDL, aiming to prevent accidental clashes and ease military tensions. Kim emphasized the importance of North Korea's positive and swift response to the proposal, which is intended to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula and restore military trust. He also stated that Seoul is open to discussing the details of the talks, including its venue and schedule. In the statement, Kim highlight ed that the MDL violations appear to have occurred due to the damage of indicators marking the land border. These indicators were originally installed in 1953 during the signing of the armistice. Despite the call for dialogue, it remains uncertain whether North Korea, which has been unresponsive to President Lee Jae Myung's previous calls, will engage with the proposal. The two Koreas last engaged in general-level military talks in 2018. Since 2000, they have conducted two ministerial-level talks and 40 working-level talks, according to the ministry.