SEOUL: South Korea has agreed to hold talks with North Korea about reunions of separated families and other humanitarian issues, an official said Wednesday.

The announcement by the unification ministry suggested an easing of cross-border tensions, which rose sharply after the North shelled a South Korean island last November 23.

Separate military talks between the two sides began Tuesday and were continuing Wednesday.

Ministry spokeswoman Lee Jong-Joo said the North on January 10 and again on February 1 proposed Red Cross talks to discuss humanitarian issues including family reunions.

"We conveyed our agreement to hold the Red Cross talks, as it is important for the North and the South to discuss and resolve such issues of humanitarian concerns," she told a briefing.