The two Koreas’ agreement to hold the first government-level talks in two years last week raised hopes that it will spur wider travel across the border, starting with Sunday’s working-level talks at the truce village of Panmunjeom.

Throughout the past two administrations, the number of South Koreans traveling to the North remained relatively high due to various inter-Korean projects including the Gaeseong industrial complex.

The number of North Koreans traveling to the South, however, has dwindled continuously since the end of the progressive Roh Moo-hyun administration in 2008. The number eventually hit zero by 2012, the last year of the conservative Lee Myung-bak government.

Inter-Korean relations chilled upon North Korea’s repeated provocations against the South, such as the sinking of the corvette Cheonan and shelling of Yeonpyeongdo Island in 2010.

By Lee Joo-hee (jhl@heraldcorp.com)