The two Koreas reached a dramatic deal with the North expressing “regret” over the Aug. 4 land mine attack that injured two South Korean soldiers and the South agreeing to stop the propaganda broadcasts that had been restarted in retaliation. The two sides also agreed to hold another round of talks in Seoul or Pyongyang in the near future. Kim was one of the two North Korean officials that took part in the high-level talks.

Cautioning against blind optimism, another presidential official said on condition of anonymity that the first test for North Korea’s sincerity would be the arrangement of the reunions of separated families next month.

“For the time being, we have to solve the issue of the reunions of separated families first,” the official was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency.

“There are not just a couple of issues that need to be solved to improve the relations, and we need to tackle them one by one,” the official said, adding that it is premature to talk about lifting the May 24 sanctions.

The comment came a day after the Unification Ministry said it was open to discussing the sanctions that the North has been seeking to be lifted. The ministry later explained that Seoul’s position remains unchanged, stressing that Pyongyang should take responsible measures first.

On May 24, 2010, the South Korean government banned all inter-Korean cooperation, except for those within the joint industrial complex in the border town of Gaeseong. The measures were taken in retaliation for Pyongyang’s sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan in March of that year.

Meanwhile, Cheong Wa Dae convened a National Security Council session to discuss follow-up measures on the agreements. The meeting, presided over by Park’s top security officer Kim Kwan-jin, was the first session held after the marathon talks. The two Koreas agreed to defuse military tensions and take a series of measures, including increased civilian exchanges between the sides.

The members of the presidential security council intensively discussed the planned reunions of separated families on when the meeting should be taken and how, Park’s spokesman said.

The two Koreas are set to hold Red Cross talks early next month to stage the reunions around the Chuseok holidays beginning Sept. 27.

However, it remains unclear whether or not North Korea will keep its word, observers say, listing previous cases of the reclusive regime canceling events in unilateral decisions.

Pyongyang had agreed to hold a reunion event for six days starting Sept. 25, 2013, accepting Park’s proposal delivered during a speech on the Aug. 15 Liberation Day holiday. But the North canceled the event in a last-minute decision on Sept. 21.

Speculation is also growing that the reclusive state might take another provocative action around Oct. 10 to mark the 70th anniversary of the foundation of its ruling Workers’ Party.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)