"We'll try to achieve some good accomplishments (from the talks)," Kim Yong-hyun, leader of the three-member RoK delegation, was quoted by local media as saying before leaving for the DPRK border city of Kaesong, where the meeting was to take place.

The two sides recently held a series of working-level contacts to discuss holding what would be the first family reunions in a year, but failed to narrow their differences over tying the event to a resumption of cross-border tours, which were suspended after a tourist from the RoK was shot to death in 2008.

Pyongyang had proposed that the Koreas discuss "humanitarian issues" during the talks, which local media say hints at reopening the tour programs in exchange for more chances for reunions.

The RoK, while sticking to its position that the reunion and the cross-border tours are two separate matters, is willing to discuss "small-scale humanitarian aid" to the DPRK, Kim reportedly said.

One hundred people from each side of the border will be given a rare chance to rendezvous during family reunions slated for October 30-November 5. The oldest participant is a 97-year-old RoK woman, who is to meet her 65-year-old daughter who is living in the DPRK.

The last family reunions, the 16^th such meetings, were held in September 2009.