·DPRK 's moves toward South Korea over the past months helped alleviate tensions.    

·The DPRK reached a cooperative five-point agreement with South Korean.

·The inter-Korean relations are improving, but much is to be done.

    by Zhang Binyang, Gao Haorong

    PYONGYANG, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has sent a series of tension-easing and reconciliation-seeking signals toward South Korea over the past months, which helped alleviate tensions between the two countries.

    Both sides were in great disputes since South Korean President Lee Myung Bak took office last year. The Korean peninsula had been "pushed into a hair-trigger situation," the DPRK government and media said repeatedly.

    The rising tensions threatened the regional stability and had become a heavy burden to the two countries. How to break the impasse has remained a challenge.

    As inter-governmental contacts were cut off, the DPRK launched a charming offensive through civilian contacts.

    The DPRK reached a cooperative five-point agreement with South Korean Hyundai Group after its Chairwoman visited Pyongyang in August. The DPRK media said it was due to the top leader Kim Jong Il's "generous decision."

    A series of reconciliatory measures followed. The DPRK sent a condolence envoy to Seoul after former South Korean President Kim Dae Jung died. The high-ranking delegation met with President Lee Myung Bak during their stay in Seoul.

    The DPRK also lifted restrictions on inter-Korean border traffic since last December and arranged a reunion of separated families of both countries at the end of September.

    In addition, it also held talks with South Korea on preventing flood of the bordering Imjin River at the request of Seoul. The Red Cross of the two countries met to discuss humanitarian issues.

    The DPRK media spoke positively of the detente of the inter-Korean relations, calling for further improvement.

    An article published in the Rodong Sinmun daily on Oct. 19 said the reunion of separated families had "provided a good opportunity to improve the inter-Korean relations, expand and develop the cooperation and exchange between the two sides."

    It added that "as long as advancing along this direction, it would open up a way toward better relations".

    Another article in the newspaper also urged the two sides to enhance bilateral cooperation in economic, cultural and humanitarian areas, jointly tap their resources and technologies and boost the economy of the peninsula, which, it said, could help reunite the Korean nation.

    The DPRK media also stopped rhetoric attacks against South Korean leaders and turned to call for mutual respects and closer cooperation despite difference in ideology and social systems.

    Meanwhile, the South Korean government has given some positive responses to the reconciliatory move of the DPRK, including providing recently advanced military telecommunication equipment to the DPRK army to secure border communications.

    The inter-Korean relations are improving, but much is to be done to bridge difference over a series of issues.

    The DPRK takes it a priority to implement the two agreements reached by the top leaders of the two countries in 2000 and 2007. However, South Korea holds that more negotiations are needed before implementing them, though it "respects" the declarations.

    On the nuclear issue, South Korea considers DPRK abandoning nuclear programs the basis for improving bilateral relations, but the DPRK has reiterated it is an issue between the country and the United States. 

S Korea provides humanitarian aid to DPRK

    SEOUL, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- South Korea on Monday notified the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) that Seoul would provide small-scale humanitarian aid to Pyongyang.

    According to a press release issued by South Korea's Red Cross, it informed its DPRK's counterpart by sending a fax that the South Korean side will offer 10,000 tons of corn, 20 tons of milk powder and medicine to the DPRK. Full story