North, South Korea Hold Military Talks

North and South Korea held high-level military talks Wednesday to discuss the recent tensions and border altercations. However, the meeting did not move the two countries closer to compromise or reconciliation. Top generals from both countries met for five hours at the border village of Panmunjom, which is north of Seoul. During the talks, North Korea reiterated its objection to the Northern Limit Line in the Yellow Sea and repeated its claim to a new sea border. The talks followed a recent increase in altercations between North and South Korea. On Oct. 7, the two countries exchanged gunfire from their respective navy boats, but did not hit each other. Last Friday, their armies exchanged machine-gun fire across the border after a South Korean activist tried to send ballons carrying anti-Kim Jong Un leaflets into North Korea. “Our side made it clear that we will defend the Northern Limit Line and that in our free democracy, we cannot stop civic groups from launching balloons or control news media,” said South Korea’s Defense Ministry spokesman. “The meeting ended without setting a date for future talks or reaching any other agreement.”