South Korea agrees to talks with North

SEOUL, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- The South Korean government says it will accept North Korea's proposal for high-ranking military talks, and suggested preparatory working-level military talks.

Additionally, the Seoul government said it would propose holding inter-Korean talks between high-ranking government officials from both Koreas to discuss denuclearization, the Yonhap News Agency reported Thursday.

North Korea proposed the talks in a telegram signed by Kim Young-chun, minister of the people's Armed Forces, to South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin Thursday.

U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao urged the two Koreas to continue talks during their summit meeting in Washington on Wednesday.

Seoul's Unification Ministry said North Korea proposed discussions on the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan. South Korea blames the sinking on the North.

"The South Korean government will come to the talks to ask North Korea to take responsible measures for the torpedoing of the Cheonan and the artillery attacks on Yeonpyeong and promise not to conduct further military provocation in the future," said a Unification Ministry official.