Senior Officials from South Korea and North Korea Meet

North Korean and South Korean officials began a new round of official negotiations on Tuesday morning, January 9, for the first time in over two years. Following the meeting, North Korea agreed to send a team of athletes to the Winter Olympics in South Korea. The two Koreas gathered to discuss the conditions and potential participation of North Korea in the Winter Olympics in South Korea (February 9-25), as well as to reduce tensions and improve relations between Seoul and Pyongyang. The Ministry of Unification of South Korea, which oversees affairs and relations with North Korea, stated that the negotiations started at 10 AM on Tuesday in the village of Panmunjom, in the military demilitarized zone. Images from the meeting show Cho Myoung-gyon, the South Korean Minister of Unification and head of the South Korean delegation, shaking hands with Ri Son-gwon, head of the North Korean negotiating team. According to the South Korean state news agency, the head of the North Korean delegation stated, 'We have come with hope for a serious and sincere approach to these negotiations... to yield results for the people of the Korean Peninsula who have great expectations from the talks.' The South Korean minister also expressed hope that the discussions would be 'serious' and 'sustainable.' Meetings between the two sides had been halted for more than two years. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have significantly escalated with increased military and nuclear tests by Pyongyang and heightened verbal conflicts following Donald Trump's rise to power. Nevertheless, Moon Jae-in, the South Korean president and his liberal government, which supports negotiations with Pyongyang, have made efforts in recent months to keep the prospect of reviving talks with their northern neighbor alive. In this context, Seoul has repeatedly expressed its concerns about rising tensions and implicitly requested to be informed in advance in case of a potential war. Seoul has also asked the United States to postpone joint military exercises to prevent a possible crisis during the Winter Olympics in South Korea. Moon Jae-in has expressed hope that improving relations between the two countries will also assist in the issue of North Korean denuclearization and potential negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington. Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, mentioned the issue of negotiations and reducing tensions between the two Koreas in his New Year's message. Following that, Seoul and Pyongyang officially announced their agreement to hold negotiations. Government demonstrations in support of Kim Jong-un's speech in North Korea occurred. Donald Trump, the President of the United States, stated on January 6 that the groundwork for such negotiations is due to his policies: 'This is a beginning and a great beginning. If it weren't for me, they wouldn't be negotiating.' Mr. Trump expressed hope for the talks to be fruitful and stated he is willing to have a phone conversation with Kim Jong-un under certain conditions. South Korea had anticipated the possibility of negotiations in the last days of the previous year. The Ministry of Unification of South Korea had estimated at the end of 2017 that Pyongyang would 'increase its nuclear and missile capabilities' in the new year and 'seek a way to negotiate.'