South Korea on Tuesday proposed holding talks with North Korea next week to discuss the North’s participation in the Winter Olympics and other measures to improve inter-Korean ties.

周二，韩国提议下周与朝鲜举行会谈，讨论朝鲜参加冬奥会和其他改善朝韩关系的措施。

The offer came a day after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un extended an olive branch to South Korea, expressing interest in sending North Korea’s delegation to the Winter Olympics to be held near Seoul next month.

一天前，朝鲜领导人金正恩(Kim Jong-un)向韩国伸出橄榄枝，表示有兴趣派朝鲜代表团参加下月在首尔附近举行的冬奥会。

The North Korean dictator said in his closely watched New Year speech that he was “open to dialogue” with South Korea to ease military tension on the peninsula although he vowed to expand its nuclear programmes and urged Washington to admit it as a nuclear power.

这位朝鲜独裁者在其受到密切关注的新年讲话中表示，他对同韩国对话以缓和半岛军事紧张局势“持开放态度”，尽管他发誓要扩大核计划并敦促美国承认朝鲜是个核大国。

Seoul’s unification minister in charge of inter-Korean relations offered high-ranking government talks with North Korea next Tuesday at the border village of Panmunjom. It would be the first official meeting between the two Koreas since 2015.

韩国负责朝韩关系的统一部长官赵明均提出，希望下周二在位于边界的板门店与朝鲜举行高级别政府会谈。这将是2015年以来的首次朝韩官方会晤。

“We expect to sit down with North Korea face-to-face and frankly discuss mutual interests aimed at better inter-Korean relations,” Mr Cho told a news briefing. “We look forward to Pyongyang’s positive reaction to this.”

“我们希望与朝鲜面对面坐下来，就改善韩朝关系等双方共同关心的问题坦率地交换意见，”赵明均在新闻发布会上说，“我们期待平壤方面对此作出积极回应。”

The proposal came after South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday ordered his staff to act swiftly on Mr Kim’s offer of dialogue. Mr Moon, who took power last May, proposed military talks with North Korea last year to ease tension but Pyongyang dismissed the offer.

此前，韩国总统文在寅(Moon Jae-in)周二命令手下迅速就金正恩的对话表态采取行动。去年5月上台的文在寅在去年曾提出与朝鲜举行军事会谈以缓和紧张局势，但平壤方面断然拒绝了该提议。

The South Korean won strengthened to a three-year high on Tuesday following Mr Kim’s comments on Monday. The currency was 0.4 per cent stronger against the dollar at Won1,061.47.

文在寅说：“改善韩朝关系和解决朝鲜核问题，这两者不是相互独立的。”他补充称，在举行任何会谈前，韩国都会征询盟友的意见。