North Korea's chief delegate Ri Son-gwon, center on the left side, talks with the South's Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, center on the right side. / Joint Press Corp

By Ko Dong-hwan

South and North Korea began their first formal talks on Tuesday to discuss the North's potential participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in the South next month and how to improve their long-stalled ties.

The high-level talks started at 10 a.m. at the truce village of Panmunjom in the border area, according to Seoul's unification ministry.

The meeting came after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un extended a rare rapprochement to Seoul in his New Year's Day message. He said he was willing to send a delegation to the Olympics and said the country was open for dialogue.

South Korea's Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, left, meets North Korea's chief delegate Ri Son-gwon at the truce village of Panmunjom in the inter-Korean border area on Tuesday morning. / Joint Press Corp

North Korea accepted Seoul's dialogue offer on Friday after the South and the United States agreed to postpone military drills until after the Olympics. The North reopened a long-disconnected border hotline as well.

"I came here with hopes that the two Koreas hold talks with a sincere and faithful attitude to give precious results to the Korean people who harbor high expectations for this meeting, as the first new year present," North Korean chief delegate Ri Son-gwon said at the start of the talks.

Ri is chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country.

"These talks started after long-frayed inter-Korean ties," said Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, the South's chief negotiator, in response. "Well begun is half done. I hope that the two sides can hold the talks with determination and persistence."