North Korea and South Korea start first official talks in 2 years

South Korea Unification Minister Cho Myung-Gyun shakes hands with North Korean chief delegate Ri Son-Gwon during their meeting at the border truce village of Panmunjom.
(Image credit: Korea Pool/AFP/Getty Images)

Representatives from North and South Korea are now meeting in Panmunjom, a village in the demilitarized zone (DMZ), to discuss ways North Korea can participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics next month in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

These are the first talks between the countries in two years, and South Korea also said it hopes this meeting improves relations between the Koreas. "The people have a strong desire to see the North and South move toward peace and reconciliation," Seoul's Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon said.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.