North Korea has sent New Year's greetings to South Korean political parties and civic groups.

The South's Korean Council for Inter-Korean Reconciliation and Cooperation said Monday that eight North Korean political parties and social groups had sent forty New Year's cards to South Korean parties, including the progressive Democratic Labor Party, at the end of last year.

The North's cards expressed anticipation for active reunification efforts this year, which marks the fifth anniversary of the signing of the North-South June 15th Joint Declaration and the 60th anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japanese colonial rule.