Seoul, Pyongyang to hold high-level talks next month

Following a landmark deal in August on easing military tension and seeking to mend strained ties, Seoul and Pyongyang on Friday agreed to hold high-level government talks next month aimed at improving inter-Korean relations.

The two sides plan to hold vice-ministerial dialogue at the Kaesong Industrial Complex in North Korea's border city on December 11, according to Seoul's Unification Ministry.

The agreement was reached during marathon working-level talks on Thursday at the border village of Panmunjom, The Korea Herald reported.

"Agenda for the high-level talks will be pending issues in connection with the improvement of inter-Korean relations," the ministry said in a statement, without elaborating.

The move is part of efforts to implement the August 25 deal to make efforts to defuse tension and hold high-level talks as soon as possible. At that time, the two Koreas had agreed to hold such talks either in Seoul or Pyongyang.

As part of the deal, the two Koreas held reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War in October.

The upcoming talks are expected to help bring rapprochement to the Seoul-Pyongyang relations if the two sides can yield tangible results, analysts said.

The agreement also came as discussions were under way for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to visit North Korea.