The American-led United Nations command in South Korea has reached what it calls a breakthrough agreement with North Korea to resume talks on reducing tensions on the peninsula.

A UN command spokesman said the deal was the culmination of three years of negotiations aimed at restoring channels of dialogue.

High-level military talks have been stalled since 1991 when North Korea broke off contact with the Korean Military Armistice Commission, after the UN command named a South Korean general as its chief representative.

The latest agreement came after South Korea agreed that an American general would represent the UN.

Two million troops are deployed on the border between the two Koreas.