The ongoing crisis talks broke off early on Sunday at 4:15 a.m. local time (1900 UTC) after nearly 10 hours of negotiations. Talks were led by South Korean national security adviser Kim Kwan-Jin and his North Korean counterpart Hwang Pyong-So - a close confidante of leader Kim Jong-Un.

Representatives of both countries agreed to meet again later on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. local time (0600 UTC) in the border truce village of Panmunjom, where the 1950-53 Korean War ceasefire was signed.

"The two sides had wide discussions on ways to settle the recently developed situation and to improve inter-Korean relations down the road," South Korea's presidential spokesman Min Kyung-Wook said on Sunday.

Propaganda

Negotiations began late on Saturday, shortly after North Korea gave Seoul a deadline to dismantle loudspeakers broadcasting anti-North Korean propaganda across the border. The North has said its front-line troops were in full war readiness if Seoul did not back down.

Seoul has refused to turn off the loudspeakers, however, until Pyongyang apologizes for mine blasts this month which maimed two South Korean soldiers on border patrol.

North Korea denies any responsibility for the explosions and has accused the South of fabricating evidence of its involvement.

Evacuation

Despite uncertainty over whether Pyongyang would follow through on its threat of military action, thousands of South Korean civilians living on front-line border islands or near military propaganda units have been evacuated from their homes to underground shelters as a preventive measure.

Amid growing tensions, both sides have upped military preparations over the past days with North Korea repositioning artillery units and South Korean and US fighter jets flying simulated bombing runs.

ksb/bw (AFP, AP)