2010 was certainly a notable year for North-South Korean tensions:
In March, South Korea accused the North of sinking the ROKS Cheonan. Then in November North Korean forces bombarded the South Korean settlement on Yeonpyeong Island.
After the sinking of the Cheonan, North Korea responded to the South's sanctions by severing all communication between the countries, and revert back to a de facto state of military stand-off along the border. In May the North announced its decision to disregard an inter-state agreement aimed at avoiding naval clashes with South Korea.
So really it's little wonder that there hasn't been much dialogue between the two states these past few months...
However, today Pyongyang sent a letter to Seoul proposing the initiation of fresh diplomacy between the two countries. North Korean sources state that mutual trust and reconciliation are vital in order to "defuse the acute situation of the Korean Peninsula".
The South Korean government has stated that the success of the talks will revolve around whether or not North Korea will accept responsibility for not only the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, but also the contested sinking of the ROKS Cheonan
The first meeting is scheduled to take place on 8th February within the DMZ's Joint Security Area.
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