The Defense Ministry says the disputed maritime border with North Korea in the West Sea can be discussed at inter-Korean defense ministers' talks.

The Unification Ministry and the Defense Ministry are at odds over whether to put the issue on the agenda for the October summit between President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. The Unification Ministry contends that the nation should show flexibility, while the Defense Ministry insists that military confidence building should come first.

Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Hyung-ki told a regular news briefing Thursday that the government’s basic stance on the Northern Limit Line (NLL) is that it has been the de-facto inter-Korean border in the West Sea for the past 50 years.

The spokesman added that Seoul could discuss the matter at inter-Korean defense chiefs' talks while pursuing military confidence-building measures as mentioned in the 1992 South-North Basic Agreement.

Kim also said that it's not desirable to give the impression that the two ministries are at odds over the issue, adding that all government bodies are working to realize a successful inter-Korean summit.