Defense ministers of South and North Korea on Tuesday launched three days of talks in Pyongyang.

In the first plenary session at the Songjonggak Guesthouse on the banks of the Daedong River, the two sides discussed establishment of a joint fishing area as part of a proposed special peace zone in the West Sea. They also discussed security guarantees for economic cooperation projects agreed upon in last month's inter-Korean summit.

A five-member South Korean delegation led by Defense Minister Kim Jang-soo arrived in Pyongyang earlier in the day on a chartered plane.

The delegates, their entourage, and pool reporters were greeted by North Korean Lieutenant General Kim Yong-chol at the Sunan International Airport. A lieutenant general in the North's military corresponds to a major general in South Korea.

The South Korean defense minister, in a public statement upon his arrival, pledged his best efforts to produce positive results at the talks, keeping in mind the public's hope for lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.