South and North Korea discussed the creation of a joint fishing zone in the West Sea during the seventh general-level talks Wednesday.

During the talks at the truce village of Panmunjeom, they also discussed military security guarantees to ease cross-border transports, communications and customs clearance.

South Korea’s chief delegate said an agreement on cross-border transports, communications and customs clearance will boost the inter-Korean joint venture Gaesong Industrial Complex.

A participant in the talks said the two sides focused on the military security guarantees on Wednesday, the first day of the meeting.

The meeting will be devoted to the creation of a joint fishing zone on the second day.

Observers expect the two Koreas to easily reach agreement on the security guarantees, as they both see a need for such measures.

However, the hot potato is the creation of a joint fishing zone, as the two are not willing to give in to each other.

The North has demanded a joint fishing area south of the Northern Limit Line, which the South has long claimed as its western sea border.

But the South wants the zone to straddle an equal amount of both sides' territorial waters.