The eyes of the world are focussed today on a small village on the South Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone. The truce village Panmun-jom is hosting delegates from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and South Korea, for the first formal talks in more than two years.

Five senior officials from each side have met to discuss the DPRK's potential participation in the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in South Korea, as well as inter-Korean relations. The ROK's Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon and the DPRK's chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, Ri Son Gwon, are leading the delegations. The DPRK chief delegate says he hopes for "precious" results from the talks with South Korea. Relations between the two Koreas deteriorated after Seoul suspended a joint economic project at the Kaesong Industrial complex in the DPRK following a rocket launch and nuclear test by the North. The incident led to the DPRK breaking off communications with Seoul, including cutting off telephone contact. The last high-level talks between the two countries were in December 2015.