South Korea tries to extend an olive branch to its northern neighbor

The South Korean Defense Ministry, in an attempt to defuse rising tensions between Seoul and Pyongyang, proposed talks between the two neighboring countries’ military representatives this coming July 21. The proposed talks should take place at Tongil-Gak, known as “the truce village,” in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a strip that separates North and South Korea.

According to CNN, such talks would aim at de-escalating the recently increasing military tension, according to the South Korean Deputy Defense Minister, Seo Joo-Seok, who also said Seoul proposed  “a cessation of all hostile acts along the Military Demarcation Line ahead of the 64th anniversary on July 27 of the truce which effectively ended the Korean War in 1953.”

To the date, Pyongyang hasn’t yet responded.