Two Koreas agree to extend high-level talks to ease tensions

The issues included the reunion of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War and landmines explosion and a rare exchange of artillery fire in August. But while Seoul was expected to raise the issue of denuclearisation, experts said the two sides were focused on more achievable targets.

The Koreas remain technically at war, because the Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. Officials from the two Koreas met Thursday at a border village to try to realize high-level talks as part of their agreements that defused a military standoff in August.

“We hope that the various pending issues can be smoothly discussed through consultations”, said Vice Unification Minister Hwang Boo-gi, who is heading the South Korean delegation. “I’ll make best efforts to resolve them one by one in a calm and orderly way”, said Hwang.

But the South has said that North Korea should take measures to guarantee the safety of South Korean visitors at the mountain and ensure that similar incidents do not recur.

“North Korea hasn’t even succeeded at minimizing a nuclear warhead”.

As Friday’s meeting will only be attended by vice-ministers, it is unlikely that they will discuss the most serious issues in the two countries’ often tense relationship.

Song told Choe that China “attaches great importance” to the visit by the North Korean band and its concerts in Beijing, calling their performances a “stage of China-North Korea friendship”. And that is the resumption of tours to its Mount Kumgang resort.

“North Korea will not achieve the prosperity and security it seeks and will remain isolated until it abandons its illicit weapons programs and abides by its global obligations and commitments”, she said.

The White House has expressed doubts over North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s claim that the country had developed hydrogen bomb.

“He also needs cash to complete a batch of recent and ongoing construction projects”.

South Korea has allegedly called for North Korea to agree upon regular reunions of the separated Korean families through the inter-governmental talks.

The United Nations Security Council convened on Thursday for a meeting to discuss “the situation in the Democratic People’s republic of Korea”, particularly with regard to human rights.

Park has repeatedly talked up the prospect of eventual Korean re-unification, but has offered little in terms of policy to ease tensions with the perennially belligerent North.

Experts in Seoul say it is going to be very hard for South Korea to resume those tours without getting an apology or an explanation from North Korea on that incident.