Unification minister proposes talks with N. Korea over border line amid DMZ tensions

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young on Friday proposed to North Korea talks to address issues along the border, amid heightened inter-Korean tensions over last week's mine blast inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Chung made the remark after the South's military blamed North Korea for the Sept. 21 land mine explosion on the South's side of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) separating the two Koreas. The incident left three South Korean soldiers injured, two of them critically. Earlier this week, the South Korean military demanded an apology and responsible measures from the North over the blast. Pyongyang has categorically denied its involvement, accusing Seoul of fabricating its investigation result to pin the blame on the regime. "The root cause of this incident ultimately lies in the issue of the ceasefire line, the MDL line," Chung told reporters upon arriving for work. He cut short his trip to Europe and returned Thursday to handle the fallout from the land mine blast. "I, as unification minister, propose to the North: We should meet now and communicate. We should at least star