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Officials from Seoul were seen crossing Unification Bridge for the first face-to-face talks in over two years to discuss North Korea’s team taking part in the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Unification Ministry spokesman Baek Tae-hyun said: ”The talks will focus on North Korea's participation in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and our preparations have centred around some requests made by the North for a peaceful Olympic Games.” Despot Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in will both have a live feed to the talks with the leaders able to intervene at any time via a hotline.

GETTY/REUTERS North and South Korea will hold high-level talks ahead of the olympics

The Unification Bridge, dubbed The Bridge Of No Return, was used for prisoner exchanges at the end of the Korean War. South Korean Officials arrived in the DMZ for the talks at 9.00am (00.00am GMT) ahead of the delegation from Pyongyang which arrived just before the 10.00am start time. The live involvement of the two leaders who will watch and listen are likely to raise the stakes of the talks.

The talks will focus on North Korea's participation in the Olympics Unification Ministry spokesman Baek Tae-hyun

The two bitter neighbours may even march under the same flag at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, some officials from the South hope. The bold move would be a show of unity between the two Koreas not seen for a decade. The Winter Olympics will kick off in Pyeongchang on February 9 before the closing ceremony on February 25.

Kim Jong-un in pictures Sun, January 7, 2018 Kim Jong-Un, The Supreme Leader of North Korea takes himself and his leadership very seriously. Play slideshow PBS / Frontline 1 of 77

The discussion will take place between five senior officials from both sides commencing at 10.00am JST (01.00am GMT). US President Donald Trump has backed the talks saying they are a “good thing” despite his State Department warning that the North is trying to drive a wedge between Seoul and Washington. Taking credit for the thawing in relations Trump said the progress was a result of his “firm, strong” stance after he spent much of 2017 exchange insults with Kim.

GETTY The South Korea delegation crosses the border on a convoy

Trump, who said he was 100 per cent behind the talks, as also revealed that he is willing to speak directly to the North Korean dictator over the phone. President Trump said: “Right now they're talking Olympics. It's a start, it's a big start. “If something can happen and something comes out of those talks, that would be a great thing for all of humanity, that would be a great thing for the world.

GETTY President Moon Jae-in will have a hotline to his delegation during talks