North, South Korea agree to talks

North and South Korea agreed in principle to hold their first official talks for years, signalling a possible breakthrough in cross-border ties after months of escalated military tensions.
A surprise offer from Pyongyang proposed talks on a range of commercial and humanitarian issues from reopening a joint industrial complex to resuming cross-border family reunions.
The South replied within hours, with the Unification Ministry saying it viewed the offer 'positively' and would announce a date, venue and agenda later.
Analysts welcomed the development, but advised caution, saying the nature and agenda of the dialogue might prove to be an insurmountable sticking point.
'I think this is an attempt by the North to seize the initiative, but it's premature to say whether the offer is likely to lead to a sincere dialogue,' said Yang Moo-Jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.
Official contacts between Seoul and Pyongyang have been essentially frozen since South Korea accused the North of torpedoing one of its warships in March 2010 with the loss of 46 lives.
The North's proposal, carried in a statement from the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea (CPRK), said the venue and date for talks 'can be set to the convenience of the South side'.
Initial subjects for discussion would be the Kaesong joint industrial zone, which was closed at the height of the recent tensions, and the resumption of cross-border tours to the North's Mount Kumgang resort, the CPRK said.
At the same time, humanitarian issues such as reuniting family members separated after the 1950-53 Korean War 'can be discussed... if necessary', the statement said.
Seoul is likely to be wary of agreeing to a wide-ranging agenda.
While President Park Geun-Hye has spoken of the need for dialogue, she has made it clear - with US backing - that substantive bilateral talks would require the North to show commitment to abandoning its nuclear weapons program.
Pyongyang has repeatedly insisted that its nuclear deterrent is not up for negotiation.