defense talks between the rivals to be held sooner than the South
proposes.
South Korea agreed last week to talks on easing hostility on the
Korean peninsula.
The Defense Ministry said in a statement Monday that North Korea wants
a preliminary meeting on Tuesday to prepare for higher-level defense
talks.
But the ministry repeated that the South wanted the preliminary talks
to take place Feb. 11.
The talks are aimed at easing tensions after North Korea's artillery
bombardment of a South Korean island in November and the sinking of
warship last March.
