一名韩国高层官员表示，愿与朝鲜举行部长级会谈，讨论“共同关心的问题”，包括安排一次韩战离散家人团聚活动。
负责朝鲜事务的韩国统一部部长柳吉在星期一举行的记者会上说，已将一份正式邀请函递交平壤。他表示，愿意与朝鲜方面讨论任何双方共同关心的问题。
如果平壤做出肯定的答复，柳吉在将于下月在平壤与朝鲜负责韩国事务的官员金养建举行会谈。
一个朝鲜重量级代表团十月对首尔进行出人意料的访问，韩朝双方同意举行高层会谈。但韩国活动人士放飞带有反平壤传单的气球后，朝鲜对此举表示愤怒，并搁置了会谈。
A senior South Korean official has offered to hold ministerial-level talks with North Korea to discuss "mutual concerns," including a reunion of families separated by the Korean War.
Ryo Kihl-jae, the South's unification minister in charge of North Korean affairs, told a news conference Monday that a formal request had been sent to Pyongyang. He said he is willing to discuss any issues of mutual concern.
If agreed to, the talks would take place next month in Pyongyang with Ryo's counterpart, Kim Yang Gon.
The two countries had agreed on high-level talks scheduled for two months ago after a surprise visit to Seoul in October by a high-powered delegation from the North. However, North Korea angrily backed out when activists in the South sent anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border via balloons.
