South and North Korea began Red Cross talks Tuesday as the sides sought to draw concessions from each other ahead of the upcoming reunions of families separated by the Korean War.
South Korea has made it clear that it won't take into consideration the current political tension between the nations when pressing the North to agree to regularize family reunions. The communist country has proposed that the sides discuss "humanitarian issues" during the two-day talks in its border town of Kaesong, suggesting it may push the South to resume lucrative cross-border tours in return for more reunion chances.
Speaking in front of reporters before departing for Kaesong, Kim Yong-hyun, head of the South Korean delegation, ruled out tying the tours to family reunions, but said the sides can "certainly discuss small-scale humanitarian aid."
Kim also said his team will push for family reunions to be held at least once a month and may discuss the use of letters and videos for those unable to meet face to face.
Tuesday's meeting began around 10:40 a.m., but details of the negotiations were not made immediately available.
More than 80,000 South Koreans are waiting for an opportunity to be reunited, however briefly, with their loved ones left in the North after the 1950-53 war ended in a truce. Between this Saturday and next Friday, 100 people from both countries will be reunited at an eastern mountain resort in the North in the first such meetings in a year.
The Koreas remain divided by a heavily armed border after the war, and only 20,800 family members have been reunited since 2000 when the sides held their first summit. About one-fifth of them have met via video, and virtually no means of contact are available between the citizens of the countries.
During the three previous rounds of Red Cross talks since mid-September, North Korea has urged South Korea to restart its cross-border tourism project involving the Mount Kumgang resort.
The tours won the North millions of U.S. dollars over a 10-year period ending in 2008 when they came to a halt following the shooting death of a South Korean tourist by a North Korean soldier.
North Korea says it has taken every measure to account for the shooting and guarantee safety, while the South calls for a renewed probe and an array of tangible security measures.
The prospect for reopening the tours further deteriorated when South Korea condemned the North in May for the deadly sinking of its warship. Forty-six sailors died in the March sinking that a multinational investigation found the North responsible for, while Pyongyang vehemently denies it torpedoed the Cheonan.