PYONGYANG, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea(DPRK) and South Korea ended their seventh general-level military talks Friday without an agreement on a shared fishing zone, the official news agency KCNA reported.

    During the three-day talks held at the House of Peace on the southern side of Panmunjom, the two sides failed to make a breakthrough in the key issue of a joint fishing zone along their disputed western sea border, the report said.

    The DPRK has proposed that four circled areas south of the NLL (North Limit Line) be set up as the joint fishery zone, while South Korea wants to operate a tiny shared fishing area, which straddles the NLL, on a trial basis.

    However, the KCNA report said the north and the south agreed on providing a military guarantee for passage and communications as well as customs clearance in the areas under the control of both sides.

    The two sides agreed to take measures to shorten the time of passage through the Kaesong and Mt Kumgang areas, to ensure speedy and smooth communications, as well as to cut down the time of customs clearance in a bid to facilitate inter-Korean cooperation projects in those areas, KCNA reported.

    The report did not say when and where the next talks will be held.