South Korea Offers Direct Talks with the North

South Korea has offered to hold talks with North Korea to ease animosities along their tense border and resume reunions of families separated by their war in the 1950s. South Korean Defence Ministry offered talks with Pyongyang counterparts Monday, while the National Red Cross floated reunion events for families split by decades of hostilities. The South Korean president, who took office May 10, is looking to ease tensions over Kim’s pursuit of a nuclear missile capable of striking the US, Seoul’s primary security ally. Media reported that during a speech in the capital of a reunited Germany this month, Moon repeated his openness to direct talks with the North Korean leader on everything from weapons programmes to outright peace. According to Al Jazeera, North Korea has conducted two nuclear tests since the beginning of last year and missile-related activities at an unprecedented pace.