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Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon answers reporters’ questions at the Unification Ministry building in the Jongno District of Seoul before departing for Peace House at Panmunjeom

High-level talks between South and North Korean government authorities took place on Jan. 9 at Panmunjeom’s Peace House, with North Korean lead representative Ri Son-gwon terming them, “a New Year’s gift to the entire nation.” The talks were the first to take place in more than two years, and are likely to prove a major turning point in overcoming a nearly ten-year vacuum and opening up a new chapter in inter-Korean relations.

Preparations have proceeded quickly since North Korean leader proposed the talks in his New Year’s address and South Korean President Moon Jae-in immediately accepted. The North also acceded to the South’s demands on everything including the composition of its delegation – quite a difference from its past quibbling ways. It’s proof of the significance both sides are placing on the talks.

The talks are also benefiting from a favorable climate in the international community. US President Donald Trump’s message of “100% support” for inter-Korean dialogue can be taken as a sign that major changes may be in store for North Korea’s relations with the South and the US, which were previously stuck in a no-way-out situation with antagonism between Pyongyang and Washington. This positive atmosphere raises hopes that if South and North can harness their wisdom, these talks may be a chance to break the vicious cycle of hostility and move toward peace on the peninsula.

At the same time, being too ambitious can easily backfire, and these talks should be approached in terms of first achieving some kind of resolution on practical matters. To begin with, they need to focus on how North Korea will take part in the Pyeongchang Olympics. Merely having the North Korean athletes cross south over the Military Demarcation Line will be a way of showing the rest of the world a commitment to peace on the Korean Peninsula. It’s also highly symbolic to have the South and North Korean athletes entering together at the opening and closing ceremonies. Sending cheering squads or performance groups could be a way for North Korea to draw the public’s attention and positive feelings. Hopefully, these issues can be resolved in a positive way so that the Pyeongchang Olympics become a “peace Olympics” for South and North alike.

It’s also true that while the Olympics may be at the heart of the talks’ agenda, they aren’t the sole issue to be discussed. Last year, the South proposed holding military talks and reunions among divided family members. The Pyeongchang Olympics overlap with Lunar New Year’s, a major holiday for all Koreans. The sense of it being a “peace Olympics” would be all the greater if family members could meet during this time.

Given the emphasis on improving inter-Korean relations in Kim Jong-un’s New Year’s address, we hope North Korea will take active steps in this regard. But since there is a real possibility of future by asking for too much, too quickly, both sides need to approach the talks with restraint and focus on solving the things they can agree upon first. Instead of focusing on difficult issues, it’s important to use the talks as an occasion to build a larger framework for dialogue to continue in the future.

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