South and North Korea are poised to resume a joint excavation project at an ancient royal palace in the North's border city of Gaeseong as early as next week. 

According to the Cultural Heritage Administration in Seoul, North Korea's Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation proposed on Monday to restart the project to excavate the site of Manwoldae, a palace from the Goryeo Dynasty, starting next Monday.

A detailed schedule for excavation is expected to be hashed out through discussions. 

In July, Pyongyang accepted Seoul's request to resume the project that had been halted since December 2011, following the death of then-North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. Two months later, the North requested it be postponed citing lack of preparations. 

Cultural Heritage Administration head Chung Jae-suk suggested the project restart again when she visited Pyongyang early this month as part of the South Korean government’s delegation to commemorate the anniversary of the 2007 inter-Korean summit.