Koreas family talks amid tensions

Thousands of families were separated by the 1950-53 war

Talks have begun between South Korea and North Korea on family reunions and other humanitarian issues.

At the meeting, in the town of Kaesong, the South is expected to propose more reunions in November and February.

It follows talks about recent cross-border flooding, when the North said it regretted releasing dam water which killed six people on the Imjin River.

On Monday North Korea tested short-range missiles and later said South Korean warships crossed a sea border.

South Korean also expects North Korea to raise the issues of rice and fertiliser aid and the resumption of lucrative tourism programmes for southerners during the Kaesong meeting, officials said.

Limited assistance

Ties between North and South Korea have been frosty since South Korean President Lee Myung-bak linked progress on the North's dismantling of its nuclear programmes to aid deliveries.

However, the North has appeared willing to tackle humanitarian issues, and have jointly managed the running of the Kaesong industrial plant in recent months.

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Although South Korea has said ties cannot truly improve until the North ends its nuclear programmes, it has appeared to allow for the possibility of offering humanitarian aid.

"We will provide limited humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable groups in North Korea regardless of political and security circumstances," Unification Minister Hyun In-taek said in a speech to the European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea.

"We will do our part to end the suffering of our brothers in the North," he said.

The North is under pressure to return to international talks about ending its nuclear programme.

It launched five surface-to-surface KN-02 rockets on Monday, and the South Korean news agency Yonhap has reported that a "no-sail" zone has been declared off the North's east and west coasts for the period 10-20 October.

The family reunion programme, managed by the Red Cross, was on hold for almost two years but tearful reunions were held two weeks ago and the waiting list for relatives hoping to see long-lost loved ones is very long.

South Korea says it wants the programme to run on a regular basis because many elderly people are dying before they have the chance to meet loved ones.