The defense chiefs of South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) started talks Tuesday to discuss security issues and the implementation of the agreement reached at last month's inter-Korea summit.

South Korean Defense Minister Kim Jang-soo traveled to Pyongyang on a chartered plane Tuesday for a three-day visit.

Kim's meeting with his DPRK counterpart, Kim Il Chol, is the first meeting of defense chiefs of the two sides in seven years. The security situation on the Yellow Sea and security measures related to cooperation projects are expected to top the meeting's agenda.

Tuesday's meeting "discussed the military measures to implement the Declaration for Development of North-South Relations and Peace and Prosperity," signed by the top leaders of the two sides at their summit in early October, the KCNA report said.

"The military authorities of both sides should take practical measures to put an end to the hostile relations in the military field and ensure detente and peace," Kim Il Chol was quoted as saying.

Kim Il Chol called on both sides to strengthen cooperation, as "putting an end to the ceasefire system and building a peace mechanism may declare the end of war as early as possible."

Both sides "should take measures to provide a military guarantee for north-south cooperation and exchange," he added.

The KCNA report didn't provide further information on both sides' positions on specific issues, including the disputed maritime border and the creation of a joint fishing zone in the Yellow Sea.

(Xinhua News Agency November 28, 2007)