North, South Korea Hold 1st Official Talks in 2 Years

An undated file photo showing a general view of the North-South industrial complex in the North Korean city of Kaesong

Officials from North and South Korea are holding their first government-level talks in more than two years.

The talks are taking place at Panmunjom, a military compound in the demilitarised zone between the two countries.

The talks come days ahead of an inter-Korean ministerial meeting planned for Wednesday at the request of the South's unification minister, Ryoo Kihl-jae, according to CNN.

Tensions rose sharply on the Korean Peninsula in December after North Korea tested a Taepodong 2 long-range missile and again in February when it carried out its third nuclear test. The UN hit back with sanctions, and the start of joint military drills between South Korea and the United States in March further irritated the North, which threatened to carry out a nuclear attack on the US mainland, as well as on US forces in the region.

In a further sign of escalating tensions between the North and South, Pyongyang suspended from April all operations at the Industrial Complex in the border city of Kaesong and pulled out all of its 53,000 staff working for the 123 South Korean companies. Six days before, the North banned South Korean personnel from entering the complex.

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