Seoul offers talks with Pyongyang, propose resuming reunion of families to ease tension

Seoul: South Korea has offered to talk with North Korea to ease animosities along their tense border and resume reunions of families separated by their war in the 1950s. Seoul’s proposal for two sets of talks indicates new president Moon Jae-in is pushing to improve ties with Pyongyang despite the North’s first intercontinental ballistic missile this month. The defence ministry said Monday it’s proposing talks at the border village of Panmunjom on Friday to discuss how to end hostile activities along the border. Seoul’s red cross says it wants separate talks at the border village on 1 August to discuss family reunions. North Korea’s state media hasn’t immediately responded to South Korea’s overtures.