North, South Koreas hold first-working level talks following tense standoff

Officials from North Korea and South Korea held first government-level talks in years on Sunday.

The talks were held in the village of Panmunjom, an abandoned village on the de facto border between North and South Korea.

According to CNN, the talks are another sign of improving relations between the two countries.

Pyongyang on Friday reconnected the Red Cross hotline in the border area of Panmunjom, an important line of communication between the two sides that it had cut off as tensions flared earlier this year.

North Korea broke the impasse between the two sides over the Kaesong Industrial Zone, a shared industrial complex and major symbol of cooperation between the two countries where Pyongyang halted activity in April, by issuing a proposal on Thursday for talks.

It said that the venue of the talks and the date for their opening can be set to the convenience of the south side.

South Korea reacted quickly and positively to the offer, noting that it had been continuously seeking talks on Kaesong since the North shut it down, the report said.

The North expressed appreciation for the South's response Friday, and said working contact between the two governments is necessary before ministerial talks, the report added.