North and South Koreas show further signs of improvement

Relations between North and South Korea showed further signs of improvement when the two sides agreed to hold talks on the possible revival of attempts to reunite families separated during the Korean war.

Less than three months after the peninsula appeared to be on the brink of conflict after the North's attack on Yeonpyeong island, the countries' Red Cross agencies will discuss the reunions at a date yet to be agreed, reports said.

The Korean peninsula was plunged into crisis in March after the North was blamed for a torpedo attack on the Cheonan, a South Korean warship, in which 46 sailors died, The Guardian reports.

"The two sides discussed possible topics, the place and level of representatives to higher-level talks, but failed to find common ground," said Kim Min-seok, spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense. "They agreed to resume the meeting at 10 a.m. today."

The second round of the colonel-level military talks will continue at the truce village of Panmunjeom that lies on the heavily fortified inter-Korean border.

Kim noted that Seoul insisted Pyongyang take responsibility for two military attacks last year and promise not to stage any further provocations against the South as a precondition to a higher-level meeting, according to Korea Times.