North Korea has proposed that the two Koreas discuss comprehensive military guarantees for cross-border economic cooperation, measures to prevent clashes in the West Sea, and the promotion of joint fishing operations.

The North made the proposals during inter-Korean general-level military talks that opened Tuesday on the northern side of the truce village of Panmunjeom. The three-day meeting had originally been called to discuss safety guarantees for test runs of cross-border railways slated to begin May 17th.

But Pyongyang's chief delegate, Lieutenant General Kim Yong-chol, proposed that the two sides discuss a broader agenda during his opening speech, suggesting further that the discussions be on the record.

The chief delegate for the South, Defense Ministry policy planning chief Jeong Seung-jo said in response that military talks are customarily held in a closed session, noting that the original agenda for the talks was railway safety guarantees.

But Kim, a two-star general, said that his government hadn't said that it would discuss only the railway issue, hinting that it might again raise the issue of redrawing the westerrn maritime border.

Under the North Korean system, a two-star general is referred to as a "lieutenant general," which is equivalent to a "major general" in the South.