The two Koreas will hold three days of general-grade military talks from Tuesday to discuss military security guarantees for the pilot operation of two inter-Korean railways.

The talks come after the two sides agreed Saturday to begin railway test runs later this month, ahead of former president Kim Dae-jung’s visit to Pyongyang next month.

Attention is focusing on whether the two sides will be able to conclude a military guarantee pact.

During the talks at the border truce village of Panmunjom, Seoul and Pyongyang officials will also discuss ways to prevent accidental clashes at the western sea border and to set up a joint fishing zone, and other measures aimed at easing tensions and building trust.

Major General Han Min-gu, who is the policy planning director at the Defense Ministry, and Lieutenant General Kim Yong-chol of North Korea will each head five-member delegations to the talks. The rank of lieutenant general in the North is equivalent to that of major general in the South.

The inter-Korean railways were cut off in 1951, a year after the outbreak of the Korean War.

The test runs will begin on May 25th.