Rival parties have welcomed in unison the government’s proposal of high-level talks with North Korea.

Ruling Saenuri Party spokeswoman Kwon Eun-hee said on Monday in a news briefing that inter-Korean dialogue must continue although the North aborted planned inter-Korean governmental talks in October.

Kwon said that the party hopes the proposal will lead the two Koreas to resume talks in the new year and resolve long-standing issues, urging Pyongyang to swiftly respond to Seoul’s call for dialogue.

Spokeswoman Han Jung-ae of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) said that the party positively views the dialogue proposal by the government although it came a little late. Han said that the government should approach the North with patience for the talks to serve as substantial communication.

Another NPAD spokesman Kim Seong-soo said that the party hopes that in the proposed talks, the two Koreas would make significant progress regarding the resumption of tours to Mount Geumgang and the current sanctions on the North.