The first inter-Korean talks in more than two years kicked off at 10 a.m. on Tuesday to discuss the North’s participation in the PyeongChang Olympics and improving bilateral relations.

The meeting in the border village of Panmunjeom, started with a brief exchange between delegations from Seoul and Pyongyang. 


“The North and the South are to attend the meeting with a serious stance and sincere attitude,” Ri Son-gwon, the head of the five-member North Korean delegation told a group of reporters before entering the meeting room.

Before beginning the talks, Ri met his South Korean counterpart Cho Myoung-gyon and exchanged New Year’s greetings.

Cho, Seoul’s Unification Minister, is the head of Seoul’s delegation for the talks. Ri is the chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country, North Korea’s state agency handling inter-Korean affairs.

By Jung Min-kyung & Joint Press Corps (mkjung@heraldcorp.com)