A South Korean official says that North Korea and the U.S. have discussed a proposal to allow ethnic Koreans living in the U.S. to hold temporary reunions with their relatives living in the North.

A foreign ministry official in Seoul says this issue was discussed between North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan and U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues Robert King when Kim visited New York late last month.

The source says they didn't discuss details but agreed on the need for family reunions.

It is believed that the two also discussed the reunion issue and U.S. food aid to the North when King visited North Korea in May.

Republican Senator Mark Kirk is known to have been an active supporter of establishing the reunions.

An estimated 100-thousand Korean Americans in the U.S. have family members in North Korea.