S. Korea urges talks with North on restarting tours

South Korea yesterday cautiously welcomed North Korea's decision to lift border restrictions and restart tours to the communist state, but said the two governments must hold talks before trips can resume.

The government "positively evaluates" the joint statement by Pyongyang and Seoul's Hyundai Group on restarting tours and family reunions, said unification ministry spokesman Chun Hae-Sung.

But he added: "This is an agreement reached at a civilian level. We need concrete accords to be worked out through talks between the authorities of the two Koreas to implement this agreement.

"The government will make active efforts to reach the accords between the authorities... as early as possible."

North Korea is bitterly hostile to South Korea's conservative government and has cut virtually all official contacts. A Hyundai subsidiary runs all inter-Korean tourism and business projects.

The North disclosed the agreement to resume tours and lift border restrictions earlier yesterday, one day after a meeting in Pyongyang between its leader Kim Jong-Il and Hyundai chairwoman Hyun Jung-Eun.

It said tours to the scenic Mount Kumgang resort on the east coast and to Kaesong, a historic city near the west coast, would resume as soon as possible.

Spokesman Mr Chun said the government would try to resume inter-Korean Red Cross talks as soon as possible so family reunions can go ahead.

Seoul suspended tours to Kumgang after North Korean soldiers in July last year shot dead a South Korean housewife who strayed into a military zone.