South Korea on Tuesday said an improvement in relations with the North must be linked to Pyongyang's nuclear program, but offered high-level diplomatic talks with the North on January 9.

"The improvement of relations between North and South Korea cannot go separately with resolving North Korea's nuclear program, so the foreign ministry should coordinate closely with allies and the international community regarding this," South Korean President Moon Jae-In said in a statement.

South Korea's Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon meanwhile proposed that the two sides meet in the village of Panmunjom in the demilitarized zone on January 9 to discuss North Korea's participation in the upcoming Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

If the talks go ahead, they will mark the first meeting between the two governments in more than two years.

Read more: North Korea: From war to nuclear weapons

On Tuesday, Pyongyang's closest ally China said they greeted the "positive message" on possible talks.

"This is a good thing,"said spokesman Geng Shuang. "China welcomes and supports that both North Korea and South Korea take this as an opportunity to make effective efforts to improve their mutual relations and promote the relaxation of the situation on the peninsula and the denuclearization of the peninsula."

Careful steps towards rapprochement

On Monday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un also suggested that both countries held talks, saying Seoul should stop seeking foreign countries' assistance to improve ties on the Korean Peninsula.

"We are ready to take various steps, including the dispatch of the delegation. To this end, the two Koreas can immediately meet," Kim said in his New Year's address, as reported South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

"The Winter Games to be held in South Korea will be a good occasion for the country. We sincerely hope that the Winter Olympics will be a success," Yonhap further reported Kim as saying.

South Korea's Moon urged authorities to organize "follow-up measures to quickly restore … dialogue" between the two countries, saying he sees Kim's statement as a "groundbreaking chance" to improve relations and "establish peace."

In the same address, however, Kim also said that the United States should be aware that his country's nuclear forces were now a reality and not a mere threat. He stressed he had a "nuclear button" on his office desk.

Watch video 00:15 S. Korea welcomes Kim's willingness to talk

'Peace' Olympics

South Korean officials have described the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics as an opportunity for "peace" on the Korean Peninsula before North Korea's leader announced the country's intention to send a delegation to the games.

Even before Kim's announcement, Moon said he did not expect North Korea to "do anything that may undermine the Olympics."

Tensions have been high on the Korean Peninsula since Pyongyang launched its most advanced ballistic missile in November, prompting criticism from the region and the international community.

The winter games are expected to take place in mid-February and last for the rest of the month.

The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty A young leader Kim Il Sung, the first and "eternal" president of North Korea, took power in 1948 with the support of the Soviet Union. The official calendar in North Korea begins with his birth year, 1912, designating it "Juche 1" after the state's Juche ideology. He was 41 when, as shown here, he signed the 1953 armistice that effectively ended the Korean War.

The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty Hero worship In the years and decades after the war, Pyongyang's propaganda machine worked hard to weave a mythical narrative around Kim Il Sung. His childhood and the time he spent fighting Japanese troops in the 1930s were embellished to portray him as an unrivaled military and political genius. At the 1980 party congress, Kim announced he would be succeeded by his son, Kim Jong Il.

The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty Ruling to the end In 1992, Kim Il Sung started writing and publishing his memoirs, entitled "Reminiscences: With the Century." Describing his childhood, the North Korean leader claims that he first joined an anti-Japanese rally at 6 years old and became involved with the independence struggle at 8. The memoirs remained unfinished at Kim Il Sung's death in 1994.

The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty In his father's footsteps After spending years in the top tiers of the regime, Kim Jong Il took power after his father's death. Kim Jong Il's 16-year rule was marked by famine and economic crisis in an already impoverished country. However, the cult of personality surrounding him and his father, Kim Il Sung, grew even stronger.

The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty Rising star Historians outside North Korea believe Kim Jong Il was born in a military camp in eastern Russia, most likely in 1941. However, the leader's official biography claims it happened on the sacred Korean mountain Paektu, exactly 30 years after his father, on April 15, 1942. A North Korean legend says the birth was blessed by a new star and a double rainbow.

The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty Family trouble Kim Jong Il had three sons and two daughters with three different women. This 1981 photo shows Kim Jong Il sitting besides his son Kim Jong Nam, with his sister-in-law and her two children in the background. Kim Jong Nam was eventually assassinated in 2017.

The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty Grooming a successor In 2009, Western media reported that Kim Jong Il had picked his youngest son, Kim Jong Un, to take over as the head of the regime. The two appeared together at a military parade on 2010, a year before Kim Jong Il passed away.

The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty Together According to Pyongyang, the death of Kim Jong Il in 2011 was marked by a series of mysterious events. State media reported that ice snapped loudly at a lake on the Paektu mountain during a sudden snowstorm, with a glowing message appearing on the rocks. After Kim Jong Il's death, a 22-meter (72-foot) statue of him was erected next to the one of his father (l.) in Pyongyang.

The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty Mysterious past Kim Jong Un mostly stayed out of the spotlight before his ascent to power. His exact age is disputed, but he is believed to have been born between 1982 and 1984. He was reportedly educated in Switzerland. In 2013, he surprised the world by meeting with former NBA star Dennis Rodman in Pyongyang.

The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty A new cult Like the leaders before him, Kim Jong Un is hallowed by the state's totalitarian regime. In 2015, South Korean media reported about a new teacher's manual in the North that claimed Kim Jong Un could drive at the age of 3. In 2017, state media said that a monument to the young leader would be build on Mount Paektu.

The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty A Kim with a hydrogen bomb Altough Kim took power at a younger age and with less of a public profile than his father and grandfather, he has managed to maintain his grip on power. The assassination of his half-brother Kim Jong Nam in 2017 served to cement his reputation abroad as a merciless dictator. The North Korean leader has also vastly expanded the country's nuclear arsenal. Author: Darko Janjevic



ss,ls/rc (AP, Reuters, dpa, EFE)