South Korea proposes talks with DPRK on January 9

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South Korea (ROK) has offered to hold high-level talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on January 9 in the truce village of Panmunjom, Yonhap news agency reported on Tuesday.

The offer came after the ROK President Moon Jae-in welcomed Kim Jong Un's New Year address and urged to resume inter-Korean dialogue and devise follow-up measures.

"The government proposes [to the DPRK] holding a senior-level inter-governmental dialogue of the South and the North (Koreas) on Jan. 9 at Peace House in Panmunjom," South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon told a press conference.

The Peace House, located in the heavily guarded demilitarized zone (DMZ) at the border, is controlled by the ROK.

DPRK leader Kim Jong Un delivers a New Year's speech, January 1, 2018. ‍/VCG Photo

"The government has a willingness to have dialogue with the North [the DPRK] regardless of timing, place and format," the minister said.

Kim said in his New Year speech that he was "open to dialogue" with the ROK and for athletes from the DPRK to take part in the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games in the ROK on February 9-25..

Moon responded hours later positively, saying he hopes to turn the PyeongChang Olympics into "a groundbreaking chance" to improve relations of the two sides and establish peace.

"We think that the suspended inter-Korean communication channels should be immediately restored. We propose that the two Koreas discuss details of talks including agenda items and the composition of delegations through the channel at the truce village," Cho said.

The two countries have been separated by a Demilitarized Zone since the end of the 1950-1953 Korean War and their last high-level talks took place in 2015.

(Top image from Reuters shows the truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing South Korea and the DPRK.)