By Li Hongmei

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and South Korea are in agreement on holding a ministerial meeting in Seoul next week that can build mutual trust and ease uncertainties on the Korean Peninsula, a S Korean official said Sunday.

In the morning session of the first government-level talks in years at the truce village of Panmunjom, the two sides exchanged views on protocol, location, the agenda and size of the delegation to be present at Wednesday's ministerial meeting planned for Seoul, its Ministry of Unification said.

The meeting came after the DPRK's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea (CPRK) called for working-level talks Friday following its earlier proposal to hold government-level talks to resolve issues such as the Kaesong Industrial Complex, Mount Kumgang tours and reunions of families separated by the Korean War (1950-53).

Seoul has accepted the government-to-government talks and countered by asking for a ministerial-level meeting so all key issues can be discussed by responsible officials.

The DPRK had also called for the joint hosting of celebratory events to mark the 13th anniversary of the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration and the 1972 July 4th North-South Joint Statement. The two statements are considered to be key documents that have helped lay the foundation for inter-Korean talks.

Chun Hae-sung, who is leading the three-person South Korean delegation, told reporters before leaving for the talks that every effort will be made to build trust that can lay the foundation for improving South-North relations.

The DPRK, meanwhile, was represented by Kim Song-hye, a senior official on the CPRK, with extensive experience in negotiations with the South.