Koreas in tug of war over venue for military talks

With only one working day to go before North Korea`s proposed date for inter-Korean military talks, the two Koreas appeared to remain wide apart over their venue, despite continuing behind-the-scenes efforts to narrow their differences, officials in Seoul said Friday, according to Yonhap news agency.



North Korea proposed earlier this week that working-level military officials of the two Koreas meet in the North`s border town of Kaesong on March 2 to discuss easier cross-border access to their joint industrial park on the outskirts of Kaesong.



The North`s proposal came in response to the South`s earlier request that the sides meet on Feb. 23 at the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom.



According to the officials, Seoul has agreed to Pyongyang`s proposed meeting date but expressed its wish to hold the meeting in a neutral place like Panmunjom, whereas there has been no sign of the North budging from its previous position on Kaesong as the meeting venue.



"Both sides are still in discussion on the date and venue of the proposed military talks. We have sent our views to the North but I cannot disclose details," said Won Tae-jae, spokesman for Seoul`s defense ministry, declining to specify the dates of communications between the two sides.