The Defense Ministry has proposed holding working-level

defense talks with North Korea under a different date

and agenda from what was initially proposed by the

North.

The ministry says it sent a telephone message to the

North on Sunday proposing that talks be held September

30th at the border village of Panmunjeom to discuss the

sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan.

Military authorities say they clearly conveyed to

Pyongyang that the working-level defense talks must

address North Korea's responsibility for sinking the

Cheonan and ways to ease tensions near the Northern

Limit Line in the Yellow Sea.

Although the ministry revised the date and agenda for

the talks, it did not attach other conditions, such as

an apology from the North. If the talks occur, it would

be the first military contact between the two Koreas

since the sinking of the Cheonan in March.

On Wednesday, North Korea first proposed the talks be

held on the 24th on the South Korean side of Panmunjeom.