South Korea accepts North's proposal for defense talks

South Korea Thursday accepted North Korea's offer of high-level military talks to ease months of increased tensions, but on the condition that the North admit responsibility for two deadly border attacks.

The offer came in a message from North Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-chun to his counterpart in the South, Kim Kwan-jin.

Seoul's unification ministry said the North suggested that the two sides exchange views on both incidents and on "military tension reduction" on the peninsula.

The ministry, which handles cross-border affairs, made it clear it was sticking to its terms for dialogue - that the North accept responsibility for the two attacks and show sincerity about nuclear disarmament.

"We will come to the high-level military talks, whose agenda should include the North making a firm commitment to taking responsible measures concerning the sinking of the Cheonan and the shelling on Yeonpyeong island," spokeswoman Lee Jong-joo told AFP.

"As the North did not mention our demand as to denuclearization, we will also separately propose high-level government talks to verify their seriousness about denuclearization," she added.

Cross-border relations worsened sharply when South Korea in May accused the North of torpedoing one of its warships, the Cheonan, killing 46 sailors, a charge Pyongyang denies.

Tensions rose even higher after the North bombarded a South Korean border island in November, killing four people, including two civilians.

The North said it was responding to the South's artillery drill on the island near the disputed border.

The offer came a day after US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao met Wednesday and agreed that "sincere and constructive dialogue" between the two Koreas was essential.

AFP