South Korea on Friday proposed to hold military talks with North Korea to prevent accidental clashes stemming from unclear border lines in the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). The proposal comes as tensions along the border continue to escalate after three South Korean soldiers clearing a patrol route were injured in a North Korean mine explosion south of the MDL within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) amid Pyongyang's so-called border fortifications. “South Korea's defense ministry is formally proposing official military talks with North Korea. Seoul aims to verify the precise location of the land border, restore military hotlines and discuss measures to prevent accidental clashes in border areas,” Kim Hong-chul, director general for defense policy at the Ministry of National Defense, said in a statement. “The United Nations Command (UNC) can also join the discussion if necessary, with specific dates and venues to be arranged through Panmunjeom." The ministry said it has closely watched North Korean troops construct roads and fences and plant mines and cross the MDL over the course of

The U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said on Friday there are no changes to policies regarding entry restrictions on Chinese vehicles, following U.S. Forces Japan’s (USFJ) reported decision to ban vehicles made by Chinese electric car giant BYD from entering one of its bases amid security concerns. According to Yonhap News Agency, Friday, USFJ decided to ban electric vehicles made by BYD from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa starting Oct. 26. The air base is the U.S.' largest overseas installation and serves as a key strategic hub for regional defense against security threats from China, Russia and North Korea. The ban is widely seen as an effort to prevent intelligence leaks of sensitive military operations, according to the report. The Japanese air base is home to the 18th Wing of the U.S. Fifth Air Force, hosting tactical fighter aircrafts, radar systems and ammunition stockpiles. Speculations were mounting that the BYD ban may expand to other major bases in the country and potentially extend to USFK, the report added. However, there is no sign so far that the USFK has adopted such measures. “U.

South Korea said on Thursday it would take a “proportionate measure” if North Korea resumes operating propaganda loudspeakers along the border, without providing details about such measures. In a wider response to the border tension that resulted from the explosion of North Korean mines, which injured South Korean soldiers, Seoul said it would send a letter to the president of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to explain that the mine planting was in violation of the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement and call for U.N.-level actions. "If North Korea takes action, we believe there should be a proportionate measure," Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Chung Binna said when asked if Seoul will set up and operate its own propaganda loudspeakers. But she added nothing has been decided. The remarks came as Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has said in two statements since Tuesday that Pyongyang will resume propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts against South Korea, claiming that Seoul wrongfully accused North Korean troops of crossing the border. S