As the Winter Olympics <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/too-early-to-say-winter-olympics-will-have-any-traction-mattis-on-north-korea-32525">got underway in South Korea last week</a> with North Korean team walking jointly with their southern neighbours, South Korea said it will arrange more family reunions in the future.

&quot;The visit shows that North Korea has a strong will to improve inter-Korean relations and that Pyongyang can make unprecedented and bold measures if deemed necessary,&quot; Ministry of Unification said in a statement.

Kim Jong Un&#39;s younger sister Kim Yo Jong has been actively attending the winter games in Pyeongchang. Yo Jong attending the opening ceremony on Sunday sitting next to the wife of US vice-president Mike Pence.

&quot;Under a strong position for denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, Korea will faithfully implement the international sanctions on North Korea, while also adhering to the principle of resolution through peaceful means,&quot; the statement added.

Yo Jong and her delegation met with top South Korean government officials including president Moon as tensions between the two countries seem to ebb.

However, US defense secretary Jim Mattis said the recent Olympic bonhomie between the two countries did not mean peace will reign on the Korean peninsula.

&quot;Clearly it is too early to say... if that is going to have any traction once the Olympics are over,&quot; the US defense secretary said.

&quot;In the midst of all of this, he (Kim Jong Un) ran a military parade that highlighted his ballistic missiles,&quot; he added.

US defense secretary Jim Mattis said the recent Olympic bonhomie between the two countries did not mean peace will reign on the Korean peninsula.

As the Winter Olympics got underway in South Korea last week with North Korean team walking jointly with their southern neighbours, South Korea said it will arrange more family reunions in the future. "The visit shows that North Korea has a strong will to improve inter-Korean relations and that Pyongyang can make unprecedented and bold measures if deemed necessary," Ministry of Unification said in a statement. Kim Jong Un's younger sister Kim Yo Jong has been actively attending the winter games in Pyeongchang. Yo Jong attending the opening ceremony on Sunday sitting next to the wife of US vice-president Mike Pence. "Under a strong position for denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, Korea will faithfully implement the international sanctions on North Korea, while also adhering to the principle of resolution through peaceful means," the statement added. Yo Jong and her delegation met with top South Korean government officials including president Moon as tensions between the two countries seem to ebb. However, US defense secretary Jim Mattis said the recent Olympic bonhomie between the two countries did not mean peace will reign on the Korean peninsula. "Clearly it is too early to say... if that is going to have any traction once the Olympics are over," the US defense secretary said. "In the midst of all of this, he (Kim Jong Un) ran a military parade that highlighted his ballistic missiles," he added.

North Korea has strong will to improve inter-Korean relations: South Korea

Even as the peace Olympics in Pyeongchang, &nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/kim-yo-jong-meet-the-ivanka-trump-of-north-korea-684">South Korea got underway last week,</a> US defense secretary Jim Mattis said it was &quot;strange&quot; to see that in the midst of the games North Korean leader Kim conducted a military parade.

In a bid to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/south-koreas-moon-watches-concert-with-kim-jong-uns-sister-32513">further the peace process in the</a> Korean peninsula, North and South Korean athletes entered the Pyeongchang Olympic stadium together to the amazement of the world.

&quot;Clearly it is too early to say... if that is going to have any traction once the Olympics are over,&quot; the US defense secretary said, adding, &quot;in the midst of all of this, he (Kim Jong Un) ran a military parade that highlighted his ballistic missiles.&quot;

However, the US defense secretary wasn&#39;t sure about the exact nature of the North Korean regime and its intentions to take the peace process forward.

&nbsp;&quot;Clearly it is too early to say... if that is going to have any traction once the Olympics are over,&quot; Mattis added. &nbsp;

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un&#39;s sister Kim Yo Jong has been attending the winter games in Pyeongchang, however, top US officials including vice-president Pence avoided meeting the North Korean leader&#39;s sister.

&quot;It is a very strange time if, in fact, he is trying to show a warming to a country that he has attacked repeatedly as an American puppet,&quot; said the US defence chief.

Even as the US kept its distance, South Korean president Moon Jae sat next to Kim&#39;s sister at a concert in Seoul which included musicians from Pyongyang.&nbsp;

Reports said that Yo Jong extended an invite to Moon to visit Pyongyang, however&nbsp;the South Korean government said it hasn&#39;t been officially communicated.

The US defense secretary wasn't sure about the exact nature of the North Korean regime and its intentions

Even as the peace Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea got underway last week, US defense secretary Jim Mattis said it was "strange" to see that in the midst of the games North Korean leader Kim conducted a military parade. In a bid to further the peace process in the Korean peninsula, North and South Korean athletes entered the Pyeongchang Olympic stadium together to the amazement of the world. "Clearly it is too early to say... if that is going to have any traction once the Olympics are over," the US defense secretary said, adding, "in the midst of all of this, he (Kim Jong Un) ran a military parade that highlighted his ballistic missiles." However, the US defense secretary wasn't sure about the exact nature of the North Korean regime and its intentions to take the peace process forward. "Clearly it is too early to say... if that is going to have any traction once the Olympics are over," Mattis added. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong has been attending the winter games in Pyeongchang, however, top US officials including vice-president Pence avoided meeting the North Korean leader's sister. "It is a very strange time if, in fact, he is trying to show a warming to a country that he has attacked repeatedly as an American puppet," said the US defence chief. Even as the US kept its distance, South Korean president Moon Jae sat next to Kim's sister at a concert in Seoul which included musicians from Pyongyang. Reports said that Yo Jong extended an invite to Moon to visit Pyongyang, however the South Korean government said it hasn't been officially communicated.

Too early to say Winter Olympics will have any traction: Mattis on North Korea

South Korean President Moon Jae-in sat next to the powerful sister of the North&#39;s leader Kim Jong Un at a concert in Seoul by musicians from Pyongyang, as conservative protesters burned the North&#39;s national flag outside Sunday.&nbsp;

The show was the final set-piece element of the North Korean delegation&#39;s landmark visit, the diplomatic highlight of the Olympics-driven rapprochement between the two halves of the peninsula, and they flew back home afterwards.

They have shared kimchi and soju with Moon, sat in the same box at the Olympics opening ceremony and cheered a unified women&#39;s ice hockey team together.

Kim on Saturday invited Moon to a summit in the North, an offer extended by his sister and special envoy Kim Yo Jong, who made history as the first member of the North&#39;s ruling dynasty to visit the South since the Korean War.

Moon did not immediately accept the invitation and has said he hopes the &quot;right conditions&quot; will be created so it can go ahead.

Pictures showed Yo Jong seated between Moon and the North&#39;s ceremonial head of state Kim Yong Nam, who is officially leading the North&#39;s delegation, and applauding at Sunday&#39;s concert.

The show by Pyongyang&#39;s Samjiyon Orchestra featured a surprise appearance by Seohyun, of top South Korean K-pop girlband Girls Generation. It was part of a cross-border deal in which the isolated nuclear-armed North sent hundreds of athletes, cheerleaders and others to the Pyeongchang Winter Games in the South.&nbsp;

At an earlier dinner with senior Seoul officials, Yo Jong said she found the two Koreas still had much in common despite decades of separation.&nbsp;

Before flying south, she said, she had expected &quot;things would be very different and unfamiliar&quot;, according to a statement from Moon&#39;s office.&nbsp;

&quot;But it turned out that there were many things similar and in common,&quot; she went on. &quot;I hope that the day we become one will be brought forward.&quot;

But the rapprochement pushed by the dovish Moon has angered conservatives, who accuse him of being a North Korea sympathiser and undermining the security alliance with the US.&nbsp;

&quot;Having these red communists in the heart of Seoul is an utter humilation!&quot; one shouted near the venue as dozens of others waved banners condemning both Moon and Kim Jong Un.&nbsp;

&quot;We are against the ugly political Olympics!&quot; read one banner.

Some set a North Korean flag on fire before police intervened, and others chanted &quot;Let&#39;s tear Kim Jong Un to death!&quot; as they ripped up posters bearing his portrait.

The North&#39;s presence has dominated the headlines in the early days of the Olympics, with all eyes turning to Swiss-educated Kim Yo Jong, believed to be 30, who is among her brother&#39;s closest confidantes.

Political divide 
 
Sunday&#39;s 100-minute concert -- the orchestra&#39;s second and final show -- included about 40 songs, among them South Korean pop hits as well as North Korean and other world music.&nbsp;

Seoul&#39;s TV shows and K-pop songs are smuggled across the border with China and known to be popular among many North Koreans despite the risk of severe punishment. &nbsp;

At one point Hyon Song Wol, the leader of the North&#39;s popular Moranbong girlband, took the stage to perform a unification-themed song.

Public interest in the show was huge, with nearly 120,000 people applying for just 1,000 tickets.

Civilian contact is strictly banned between the two Koreas, which have been divided since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice instead of a peace treaty.

Tensions soared last year as the North staged a series of nuclear and missile tests in violation of UN resolutions, while leader Kim and US President Donald Trump traded colourful insults and threats of war.

Moon has long sought engagement with the North to bring it to the negotiating table, and for months has promoted Pyeongchang as a &quot;peace Olympics&quot;.&nbsp;

But controversy over the North&#39;s participation -- particularly the formation of a unified women&#39;s ice hockey team, seen as unfairly denying Seoul&#39;s own citizens a chance to compete on the Olympic stage -- has hit his approval ratings.

Many older South Koreans on both sides of the political divide harbour a nostalgic longing for some form of reunification -- conservatives through the North&#39;s collapse, liberals through a more amicable arrangement.

But younger South Koreans have spent their adult lives in a culturally vibrant democracy regularly menaced and occasionally attacked by Pyongyang. They have far less interest in unification and fear its social and economic consequences.

A poll last year found almost 50 percent of over-60s believed the two Koreas can be reunified, while just 20.5 percent of those in their 20s agreed.

The show was the final set-piece element of the North Korean delegation's landmark visit, the diplomatic highlight of the Olympics-driven rapprochement between the two halves of the peninsula

South Korean President Moon Jae-in sat next to the powerful sister of the North's leader Kim Jong Un at a concert in Seoul by musicians from Pyongyang, as conservative protesters burned the North's national flag outside Sunday. The show was the final set-piece element of the North Korean delegation's landmark visit, the diplomatic highlight of the Olympics-driven rapprochement between the two halves of the peninsula, and they flew back home afterwards. They have shared kimchi and soju with Moon, sat in the same box at the Olympics opening ceremony and cheered a unified women's ice hockey team together. Kim on Saturday invited Moon to a summit in the North, an offer extended by his sister and special envoy Kim Yo Jong, who made history as the first member of the North's ruling dynasty to visit the South since the Korean War. Moon did not immediately accept the invitation and has said he hopes the "right conditions" will be created so it can go ahead. Pictures showed Yo Jong seated between Moon and the North's ceremonial head of state Kim Yong Nam, who is officially leading the North's delegation, and applauding at Sunday's concert. The show by Pyongyang's Samjiyon Orchestra featured a surprise appearance by Seohyun, of top South Korean K-pop girlband Girls Generation. It was part of a cross-border deal in which the isolated nuclear-armed North sent hundreds of athletes, cheerleaders and others to the Pyeongchang Winter Games in the South. At an earlier dinner with senior Seoul officials, Yo Jong said she found the two Koreas still had much in common despite decades of separation. Before flying south, she said, she had expected "things would be very different and unfamiliar", according to a statement from Moon's office. "But it turned out that there were many things similar and in common," she went on. "I hope that the day we become one will be brought forward." But the rapprochement pushed by the dovish Moon has angered conservatives, who accuse him of being a North Korea sympathiser and undermining the security alliance with the US. "Having these red communists in the heart of Seoul is an utter humilation!" one shouted near the venue as dozens of others waved banners condemning both Moon and Kim Jong Un. "We are against the ugly political Olympics!" read one banner. Some set a North Korean flag on fire before police intervened, and others chanted "Let's tear Kim Jong Un to death!" as they ripped up posters bearing his portrait. The North's presence has dominated the headlines in the early days of the Olympics, with all eyes turning to Swiss-educated Kim Yo Jong, believed to be 30, who is among her brother's closest confidantes. Political divide Sunday's 100-minute concert -- the orchestra's second and final show -- included about 40 songs, among them South Korean pop hits as well as North Korean and other world music. Seoul's TV shows and K-pop songs are smuggled across the border with China and known to be popular among many North Koreans despite the risk of severe punishment. At one point Hyon Song Wol, the leader of the North's popular Moranbong girlband, took the stage to perform a unification-themed song. Public interest in the show was huge, with nearly 120,000 people applying for just 1,000 tickets. Civilian contact is strictly banned between the two Koreas, which have been divided since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice instead of a peace treaty. Tensions soared last year as the North staged a series of nuclear and missile tests in violation of UN resolutions, while leader Kim and US President Donald Trump traded colourful insults and threats of war. Moon has long sought engagement with the North to bring it to the negotiating table, and for months has promoted Pyeongchang as a "peace Olympics". But controversy over the North's participation -- particularly the formation of a unified women's ice hockey team, seen as unfairly denying Seoul's own citizens a chance to compete on the Olympic stage -- has hit his approval ratings. Many older South Koreans on both sides of the political divide harbour a nostalgic longing for some form of reunification -- conservatives through the North's collapse, liberals through a more amicable arrangement. But younger South Koreans have spent their adult lives in a culturally vibrant democracy regularly menaced and occasionally attacked by Pyongyang. They have far less interest in unification and fear its social and economic consequences. A poll last year found almost 50 percent of over-60s believed the two Koreas can be reunified, while just 20.5 percent of those in their 20s agreed.

South Korea's Moon watches concert with Kim Jong Un's sister

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has invited the South`s President Moon Jae-in for a summit in Pyongyang, Seoul said Saturday.

The invitation, delivered by Kim&#39;s visiting sister Kim Yo Jong, said Kim was willing to meet the South`s leader &quot;at the earliest date possible&quot;, said a spokesman for the presidential Blue House.

An inter-Korean summit would be the third of its kind, after Kim`s father and predecessor Kim Jong Il met the South`s Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun in 2000 and 2007 respectively, both of them in Pyongyang.

After months of silence on whether it would even take part in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in the South, which had their opening ceremony Friday, nuclear-armed North Korea has gone on a charm offensive, dispatching athletes, performers and Kim`s sister plus other diplomatic delegates to the South. 
 
Moon met Kim Yo Jong and the North`s ceremonial head of state Kim Yong Nam for talks and lunch at the Blue House on Saturday.&nbsp;

&quot;Special envoy Kim Yo Jong delivered a personal letter&quot; from her brother stating his &quot;wish to improve inter-Korean relations&quot;, said Moon`s spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom.

She verbally conveyed Kim`s invitation to Moon &quot;to visit the North at his most convenient time&quot;, he added.

Moon has long argued for engagement with the North to bring it to the negotiating table over its nuclear ambitions, but did not immediately accept the offer.

Moon called for efforts to &quot;create the right conditions to realise&quot; such a visit, his spokesman said, urging Pyongyang to more actively seek dialogue with the US.

&quot;It is absolutely necessary for the North and the United States to engage in talks at an early date,&quot; he cited Moon as saying.

Washington has long insisted the North must show a willingness to denuclearise before any negotiations -- which Pyongyang says it will never do.

The invitation, delivered by Kim's visiting sister Kim Yo Jong, said Kim was willing to meet the South`s leader 'at the earliest date possible', said a spokesman for the presidential Blue House

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has invited the South`s President Moon Jae-in for a summit in Pyongyang, Seoul said Saturday. The invitation, delivered by Kim's visiting sister Kim Yo Jong, said Kim was willing to meet the South`s leader "at the earliest date possible", said a spokesman for the presidential Blue House. An inter-Korean summit would be the third of its kind, after Kim`s father and predecessor Kim Jong Il met the South`s Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun in 2000 and 2007 respectively, both of them in Pyongyang. After months of silence on whether it would even take part in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in the South, which had their opening ceremony Friday, nuclear-armed North Korea has gone on a charm offensive, dispatching athletes, performers and Kim`s sister plus other diplomatic delegates to the South. Moon met Kim Yo Jong and the North`s ceremonial head of state Kim Yong Nam for talks and lunch at the Blue House on Saturday. "Special envoy Kim Yo Jong delivered a personal letter" from her brother stating his "wish to improve inter-Korean relations", said Moon`s spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom. She verbally conveyed Kim`s invitation to Moon "to visit the North at his most convenient time", he added. Moon has long argued for engagement with the North to bring it to the negotiating table over its nuclear ambitions, but did not immediately accept the offer. Moon called for efforts to "create the right conditions to realise" such a visit, his spokesman said, urging Pyongyang to more actively seek dialogue with the US. "It is absolutely necessary for the North and the United States to engage in talks at an early date," he cited Moon as saying. Washington has long insisted the North must show a willingness to denuclearise before any negotiations -- which Pyongyang says it will never do.

Kim Jong Un's sister invites South Korean president to Pyongyang

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North Korea has strong will to improve inter-Korean relations: South Korea

Too early to say Winter Olympics will have any traction: Mattis on North Korea

South Korea's Moon watches concert with Kim Jong Un's sister

Kim Jong Un's sister invites South Korean president to Pyongyang