Seoul refuses to talk with Pyongyang

South Korea Thursday rejected a proposal by North Korea to hold direct military talks on the sinking of the warship Cheonan, saying the issue should be handled under the armistice that ended the Korean War (1950-53).

In a letter dated Tuesday to the UN Security Council's Mexican presidency, Pyongyang called for high-level military talks with Seoul.

It urged the council to support its request for a new probe into the sinking, saying it would cooperate with the South, Reuters reported.

"The (Seoul) government should focus on discussions at the Security Council," said South Korean foreign ministry spokesman Kim Young-sun, in response to Pyongyang's offer.

"It is more appropriate to hold general-level talks between the UN Command and North Korea's military and address the issue within the framework of the armistice agreement," Kim added.

North Korea earlier proposed to send its own investigators to examine the evidence of the sinking of Cheonan, but the request was refused by Seoul.

Lü Chao, a researcher on Korean Studies with the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that Pyongyang's proposal is unlikely to have a major impact on the issue.

"It was a response from Pyongyang to the pressure from Seoul, but nothing significant," Lü said. "The confrontation between the two sides will likely continue for a very long time."

Agencies - Global Times