The government is seeking to form a subcommittee on promoting inter-Korean cooperation in social and cultural exchanges.

Seoul plans to propose the formation of such a body when the two Koreas convene in Pyongyang Tuesday for the 16th inter-Korean Cabinet-level talks.

The government’s plan comes as the two sides prepare to cooperate in the recovery of a Joseon Dynasty stone monument that was stolen by Japanese soldiers in 1905 and in a joint excavation to find the remains of freedom fighter Ahn Jung-geun.

A slew of recent inter-Korean socio-culatural exchanges and events, including the August 15th Liberation Day celebrations, have apparently encouraged the government to pursue more active social exchanges with the North.

The sharp rise in the number of South Korean tourists to the North’s scenic Mount Geumgang also reflects the trend of active exchanges between the two Koreas. More than 42-thousand South Koreans have traveled to the mountain resort so far this year, a figure far higher than the 26-thousand posted in the same period last year.