Just days after Pyongyang decided to open official lines of communication with Seoul after some two years of silence, the two Koreas seem to be making progress in reestablishing contacts. North Korea has agreed to Seoul’s offer for talks to hold on January 9, top on the agenda of this discussion will be the upcoming Winter Olympics and other mutually beneficial issues between two countries. The confirmation was made public South Korea’s Ministry of Unification.

A statement accepting the proposal was sent to Seoul by Pyongyang on Friday. In a press briefing, a spokesman for the Ministry of Unification, Baik Tae-hyun highlights the discussion will center around the PyeongChang Winter Olympics as well as matters of ”mutual interest” to be held at the border. The talks will be a high-level one set to take place in the demilitarized zone. ”The two sides decided to discuss working-level issues by exchanging documents,” and dwell on concerns ”related to the improvement of inter-Korean relations, including the PyeongChang Olympic Games.”

Having suggested in his New Year speech that both Koreas open dialogue and took steps in easing the military tensions, it will seem Kim Jong-un is making good on his word. Although the initiative has been welcomed in Seoul, Washington has been very cautious at the possibility of a rapprochement between of two countries of the Korean Peninsula.

US President Trump took to Twitter and weighed in on the recent development Thursday ” Does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasn’t firm, strong and willing to commit our total “might” against the North. Fools, but talks are a good thing!

The supreme leader of South Korea and the United States President have traded insults and caught up in a tirade of words all through last year. Perhaps the new year might usher in a fresh approach to conducting business between the two Koreas without an outbreak of war.

Neba Benson,

BaretaNews Foreign Correspondent/Analyst