North Korea called for talks with DMZ UN forces

March 2, 5:24 PMForeign Policy ExaminerAimee Kligman

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A South Korean protester with a hammer beats a defaced portrait of the North Korean leader Kim Jong Il during a rally against North Korea's recent military policy in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, March 1, 2009. South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak urged North Korea on Sunday to stop stoking tension and work toward becoming a member of the international community, saying engagement will serve its national interests better than missiles and nuclear weapons. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

In a most unusual and unexpected move after seven years of silence, North Korean generals met with US led UN forces in order to mitigate 'tensions' in the region. It was reported by Agence France Presse that the meeting was held at the request of the North Koreans.The talks were held in Panmunjom, a neutral village located at the center of the demilitarized zone.

North Korea called on the forces in the buffer zone to stop causing friction between the two nations to which it threatened to respond with 'resolute counteractions'.  This comes on the heels of an announcement by North Korea of its intent to launch a satellite which has caused both Seoul and Washington DC to fear a long range missile test.

The North Koreans have also complained that US/South Korean joint military drills, which were scheduled for next week, were ill timed, and would only augment the tensions that already exist. They are also angry that South Korea has changed its policies toward aid to the North, attaching conditions that it must denuclearize.

Seoul has called on North Korea to cooperate with the South and the international community; Hillary Clinton, while in Asia last month week, sent a warning to the North against any provocative moves. Japan, for its part, has called for self-restraint in order not to escale anxiety in the region. China has not yet pronounced itself on the launching of the satellite. It is expected that the 6-party talks will resume and continue to be chaired by China.

The State Department's special envoy to North Korea, Stephen Bosworth, is expected to visit the region next week. Pyongyang's KCNA news agency continues to advance the notion that the United States and South Korea intend to invade North Korea.