A pro-North Korean newspaper published in Japan said Wednesday that Pyongyang is strongly committed to improving inter-Korean relations.

On its Internet site, Choson Sinbo, a Korean-language newspaper published by a pro-North Korean association of ethnic Koreans in Japan, reported that inter-Korean relations are showing signs of improvement, as Pyongyang is urging Seoul to mend fences.

Citing South Korean Unification Minister Lee Jae-jeong’s visit to an inter-Korean joint industrial complex in the North Korean city of Gaesong, the newspaper said that both Koreas are showing strong willingness to reinvigorate the joint project.