For the first time in six months, the two Koreas will meet Thursday to discuss fielding a unified team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Seoul's five-member delegation to the second such talks in Gaesong, North Korea is headed by the South Korea Olympic Committee Vice President Park Sung-in.

The first round of talks in December failed to agree on a single item over differences on how to choose athletes and train them. South Korea wanted to hold a contest or refer to internationally viable records to select competitive players while the North wanted the lineup to be equally divided.

The two sides had even failed to set a date for the next round of talks as prospects for a unified team dimmed. But efforts revived when International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge early this month sent letters to the leaders of the two Koreas urging talks on a unified Olympic squad. In the letter, Rogge offered the IOC's full support if the two sides reach an agreement.

Following the letter, a Seoul official says Pyongyang first proposed resuming talks on the matter.

Also on tap at the Thursday talks will be the possibility of fielding a single team for the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar in December, an agenda that was discussed last September.