North Korea should act wisely, stop its provocations and agree to proposed bilateral military talks instead in order to ensure peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
The statement followed the allegations in media about North Korea’s preparations for a new missile test.
On Monday, CNN reported, citing a U.S. defence official, that vehicles carrying equipment for the missile launch had been seen in North Korea’s Kusong city in central North Pyongan province.
CNN reported that the next missile test could coincide with the anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War on July 27.
“The government will sternly respond to North Korea’s provocations. [I hope that] the North [Korea] will make a wise decision,” a Unification Ministry official said, as quoted by the Yonhap news agency.
He also called on the North Korean authorities to accept South Korea’s proposal to hold bilateral military talks.
“We proposed dialogue as we believe long-strained inter-Korean ties are not desirable for peace on the Korean Peninsula,” the official said.
On July 4, Pyongyang carried out its latest missile test with the North Korean authorities announcing the successful lunch of the country’s first intercontinental ballistic missile.
Following the launch test, on July 17, Seoul has offered Pyongyang to hold negotiations on the level of military officials in order to stop all hostilities on the border on July 21.
Seoul also proposed to have talks on the level of Red Cross charity representatives on Aug. 1, but there had been no response from the North Korean authorities yet.
Tensions between the two countries have risen in the recent years amid Pyongyang’s nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches, conducted in violation of the UN Security Council’s resolutions.
The dialogue with North Korea and reconciliation on the Korean peninsula became a part of policy of new South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
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