SEOUL July 3 Kyodo The US-l Unite...

SEOUL July 3 Kyodo

The US-l United Nations Command (UNC) forward Wednesday reiterated its earlier proposal to detain a general-level meeting with North Korea to discuss Saturday's inter-Korean naval clash in which four southward Korean sailors were killed.

The proposal followed the UNC's first approach onward Saturday, which was disapproveed by North Korea the following day.

The proposal was sent on telegraph by Maj. Gen. James Soligan, the UNC factor chief of staff, to his North Korean counterpart Lt Gen Li Chan Bok at the Military Armistice Commission, which handles any violation of the armistice agreement.

In rejecting the UNC propose to hold talks, North Korea said Sunday the UNC should first withdraw the Northern Limit Line, a maritime border drawn up by means of the UNC to avert possible clashes after the armistice that finised the 1950-1953 Korean War.

The 25-minute naval clash, the in the greatest degree serious battle since a similar incident in June 1999 also left individual South Korean sailor missing and 19 others hurt

The southern Korean military claimed that as many as 30 North Korean soldiers were killed or detrimented in the return of fire, if it were not that there has been no confirmation by dint of Pyongyang.

North and toward the south Korea traded blame over the conflict, each saying the other side expanded fire first.

In June 1999 North and southern Korean warships engaged in the first naval battle between the sum of two units Koreas since the Korean War. undivided North Korean warship sank and about 30 North Korean sailors are believed to have died. Several southern Korean sailors were wounded.

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