The Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) began working-level talks on military affairs at the border village of Panmunjom on Thursday, according to Seoul's defense ministry.

Three-member military delegations from the two sides, led by colonel-level officers, kicked off their talks at 10 a.m. local time (0100 GMT).

The military talks came ahead of the three-day summit between ROK President Moon Jae-in and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un, scheduled to begin in Pyongyang from September 18.

The military delegations discussed ways to ease military tensions between the two sides, including the withdrawal of a part of guard posts inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ), which divides the Korean Peninsula, on a trial basis.

Also on the agenda would be measures to disarm the Joint Security Area (JSA) inside the Panmunjom and the joint excavation of the remains of fallen soldiers during the 1950-53 Korean War.

Those issues were agreed upon by the two sides during the general-grade military talks held in July. 

(Top photo: Lee Duk-haeng (R, Center), head of ROK's working-level delegation, shakes hands with his DPRK counterpart Park Yong Il (L,Center), Panmunjom, DPRK, February 5, 2014.)