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Seoul has agreed to consider a request by Pyongyang on Thursday to discuss joint cooperation on a possible eruption of Mount Baekdu, a volcano straddling the North Korea-China border that hasn't erupted since 1903.

Thursday's request from Pyongyang said the discussions would be on joint research of Mount Baekdu, visits to the mountain and academic debates.

It was sent from the North's authority for earthquakes and addressed to the head of the Korea Meteorological Administration, said the South's Ministry of Unification.

"The South Korean government realizes that cooperation between the South and North is necessary over natural disasters like volcanic eruptions or earthquakes," said Chun Hae-sung, Unification Ministry spokesman, yesterday. "We will look over the North's request from this point of view. I would like to say that discussions among related bureaus within the government are now taking place."

The spokesman said that Seoul believes that preparations should be made for large-scale natural disasters following last Friday's 9.0-magnitude earthquake in Japan.

"Experts inside and out of Korea have been proffering analyses of the possibility of volcanic movement on Mount Baekdu," Chun added.

The idea of joint research on Mount Baekdu isn't new. The National Intelligence Service said last October during an audit session at the National Assembly that there was a need for cooperation between the two Koreas for a possible eruption.

Professor Yoon Sung-hyo, a geologist at Pusan National University, suggested last year that there were signs the volcano could erupt. Other earthquake analysts recently said that areas near the volcano were secreting sulfur dioxide, a volcanic gas. Some have predicted the volcano could erupt in the next four to five years.

The KMA announced earlier this month new plans to monitor the mountain starting in April.

However, North Korea analysts say that Pyongyang's request for talks on Thursday was an attempt to resume inter-Korean talks rather than a sign of serious concern about an eruption.

Rodong Sinmun, an outlet for the North's ruling Workers' Party, reported Feb. 9 that ice on the mountain showed no change from the year before and "animals' movements were normal."