** FILE ** A U.S. soldier, right, and a North Korean soldier guard the joint security area which divides North and South Korea in Panmunjom, about 65 kilometers (39 miles) north of Seoul in this Aug. 6, 2003 file photo. North Korea's military proposed Friday, July 13, 2007 holding direct talks with U.S. forces, an unusual plea amid recent progress on the nuclear standoff between the two countries. (AP Photo/Ed Wray, File)