South Korea and North Korea announced Thursday that they are finally ready to sit together at the negotiation table in a bid to repair ties that have been ruptured for months.
The two will hold a cabinet level meeting in Seoul next Wednesday, which will be the first bilateral talks between the two countries since February 2011.
Earlier this year, following nuclear tests by North Korea, the two unleashed an almost daily stream of threats at each other.
The two rival countries will be discussing about restoring a jointly run factory park and other humanitarian projects. Nuclear issues will not figure in the talks, according to the Associated Press.
South Korean officials were quick to respond to North Korea's call for friendly talks.
"South Korea considers the offer positively and hopes talks can be an opportunity to build trust between the two Koreas," said Kim Hyung-suk, the spokesman for Seoul's Ministry of Unification, which oversees ties with the North, according to Reuters.
Thursday's announcement comes a day ahead of the China-U.S. summit where the two will be discussing about North Korea's nuclear programs.
Amid tensions over the Korean peninsula in recent months, even China, which is Pongyang government's ally, joined the U.S. in imposing sanctions. It even urged North Korea to cut down its nuclear and missile weapon program.
Despite strong opposition from the U.S. government for the last many years, North Korea refuses to give up its nuclear programs saying that it is a "treasure word" of the country.
Reportedly, last month China tried to convince its friend to give up the nuclear program but said North Korea had rejected the idea.
However, Thursday's call to sit at the negotiation table with South Korea is probably a sign of good gesture toward the talks between U.S. and its best ally China.
