韩国接受朝鲜举行谈判的建议

South Korea has accepted an offer by the North to hold official talks, in a sign that tensions continue to cool following weeks of deteriorating relations on the Korean peninsula.

Pyongyang's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea unexpectedly offered Thursday to hold talks on a pair of stalled joint commercial projects. It also suggested talks were possible on humanitarian issues.

Seoul's unification ministry quickly accepted the offer, saying it hopes the talks can help build trust between the two neighbors. It said it will soon announce the date, agenda, and other details of the discussions.

The South had previously said it was open to working-level talks, but was reluctant to commit to wide-ranging discussions unless the North agreed to abandon its nuclear weapons program.