North Korea has proposed launching international flights linking the two Koreas via routes over seas to the east and west of the Korean Peninsula.  

South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a press statement on Friday that the proposal was made during an inter-Korean meeting on aviation cooperation held earlier in the day. 

The ministry said it responded with a counter-proposal that they continue related discussions in future meetings.

The aviation talks were held at the joint liaison office in the North's border town of Gaesong. The ministry said both sides noted the significance that it was the first such talks and agreed to continue discussing related issues. The North first proposed holding the talks. 

The South’s delegation was led by Son Myung-soo, a senior official of the Transport Ministry while the North was led by Ri Yong-son, deputy director-general of the General Administration of Civil Aviation.