South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young arrived here Tuesday for the 16th Inter-Korean Ministerial Talks in a further indication that the inter-Korean relations are developing in a favorable way.

In the evening, Premier Pak Bong-ju of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) hosted a reception at the People's Palace of Culture in Pyongyang for the south side's delegation, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

The two sides, led by Chung and his DPRK counterpart Kwon Ho-ung, chief counselor of the DPRK's cabinet, are scheduled to hold talks from Wednesday on.

They are likely to discuss overall issues including peace-building in the Korean Peninsula, resumption of the postponed general-level military talks, as well as the reunion of the separated families, said KCNA.

Earlier this year, they sent their delegation to each other's capital to attend celebrations marking the anniversary of historic inter-Korean summit in 2000 that brought reconciliation between the two sides and the 60th anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japanese colonial rule.

The inter-Korean ties have improved as exchanges between the two governments and civil organizations keep growing steadily.

Source: Xinhua