North Korea called Friday for military talks with South Korea, Seoul officials said, its latest proposal for dialogue after months of tensions.

Seoul's unification ministry said the North sent a message proposing talks next Tuesday to discuss problems impeding business at their Kaesong jointly-run industrial estate.

South Korea has long called for the North to ease restrictions on travel in and out of the estate just north of the heavily fortified border.

The ministry said the North's military, which controls the frontier, proposed talks on free communication, the passage of people and customs clearance.

It said the South had not yet responded to the offer. The last military talks were held in October 2008.

The two sides held civilian talks this week about developing Kaesong despite Pyongyang's threat on January 15 to cut off all dialogue.

No agreement was reached at the Kaesong talks but the delegations will meet again on February 1.

The cash-strapped North has also urged discussions on restarting South Korean tours to its Mount Kumgang resort. The tours earned the sanctions-hit communist state tens of millions of dollars until they were suspended in 2008.

The South has yet to respond to that proposal.

Last week Pyongyang's National Defence Commission, the top decision-making body, threatened to cut all dialogue and cooperation unless the South apologises for an alleged contingency plan to handle regime collapse in the North.

The commission in its January 15 statement also warned of a "holy war" against the South should there be any attempt to carry out the plan.

Analysts say the North, hit harder by international sanctions following its nuclear and missile tests last year, seems willing to promote economic exchanges with the South despite political tensions.

Around 42,000 North Koreans work at 110 South Korean-funded plants in Kaesong, producing cookware, textiles, electronics and other light industrial goods.

But its operations have often been hit by political strains, with the North expelling hundreds of South Korean staff and intermittently restricting access in 2008.

earlier related report

S.Korea says it hopes for N.Korea nuke talks next month
Seoul (AFP) Jan 22, 2010 –

South Korea's foreign minister said Friday he hopes talks on North Korea's nuclear disarmament can resume next month, but reaffirmed that sanctions will remain in force until progress is made.

Yu Myung-Hwan said China and other participants were making efforts to restart the six-nation talks last held in December 2008.

"I hope the six-party talks may resume before or after the Lunar New Year (February 13-15)," Yu told journalists.

The five other countries — the United States, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia — agree the talks must not be allowed to drift on without progress, Yu said.

But he added there is no immediate agreement on restarting the talks. "Diplomatic pressure on North Korea must continue to bring it back to the table of dialogue."

North Korea quit the forum last April and staged its second nuclear test the following month. It calls for United Nations sanctions to be lifted before it returns.

The North also wants talks on a treaty to formally end the Korean War before putting the issue of dismantling its nuclear programmes on the table.

Six-party agreements in 2005 and 2007 envisage talks on a peace treaty but only in return for full denuclearisation. The North says the peace pact should come first.

The United States and South Korea have rejected the conditions.

"What is important at this point in time is that the North must return to the six-party talks unconditionally so that tangible progress in denuclearisation can be made," Yu said.

"The (South Korean) government sticks to its stance that we will continue with sanctions while pursuing dialogue simultaneously."

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