Article Posted on : - Jan 21, 2011

SEOUL (AFP): South Korea has accepted North Korea's offer of high-level military talks after months of tensions, the unification ministry said.

Seoul was responding to a message earlier Thursday from the North's defence minister Kim Yong-Chun to his counterpart in the South, Kim Kwan-Jin.

The ministry, which handles cross-border affairs, said it also accepted the North's suggestion of lower-level preparatory talks.

Seoul also proposed separate discussions between high-ranking government officials to discuss the issue of denuclearisation.

In a statement, the ministry restated Seoul's terms for dialogue – that the North accept responsibility for two attacks over the past 10 months and show sincerity about nuclear disarmament.

The ministry said it would come to the talks "on condition North Korea takes responsible measures concerning the sinking of the Cheonan and the attack on Yeonpyeong island and promise(s) to prevent any recurrence".

"Separate high-level talks are absolutely necessary to discuss denuclearisation," it added.

Cross-border relations worsened sharply when South Korea last May accused the North of torpedoing the Cheonan, one of its warships, with the loss of 46 lives, a charge Pyongyang denies.

Tensions rose even higher after the North bombarded a South Korean border island in November, killing four people including civilians and briefly sparking fears of all-out war.