SEOUL-
North and South Korea held talks on Wednesday on resuming reunions for families separated by the Korean War — an emotive issue that Pyongyang has been accused of exploiting as a bargaining chip.
The meeting at the border truce village of Panmunjom — where the armistice ending the 1950-53 conflict was signed — aimed to set a date for what would be the first such reunion event since 2010.
Agreement would be seen as a small sign of progress between the two rivals who, in recent years, have struggled to cooperate on even the most basic trust-building measures.
But both sides have been here before.
Similar talks between the North and South Korean Red Cross in August last year concluded with an agreement to hold a reunion the following month for several hundred divided family members.
With the selection process completed and the chosen relatives preparing to gather at the North’s Mount Kumgang resort, Pyongyang cancelled the event just four days before its scheduled start, citing “hostility” from the South.
There are widespread concerns that the families could end up being disappointed again this time around.
South Korea is due to begin joint military exercises with the United States at the end of February; despite warnings from North Korea of dire consequences should they go ahead.
The annual drills are always a diplomatic flashpoint on the Korean peninsula, and last year resulted in an unusually extended period of heightened military tensions.
