North, South Korea agree on family reunions, no link to exercises

Head of the North Korean high-level delegation, Won Tong Yon (C) crosses the concrete border which separates the Koreas at the truce village of Panmunjom in the demilitarised zone, north of Seoul February 14, 2014. REUTERS/Unification Ministry/Yonhap

SEOUL (Reuters) - North and South Korea agreed on Friday to proceed with reunions of families separated by the Korean War despite an earlier North Korean demand that they could only go ahead if the South postponed military exercises with the United States.

The agreement clearly represented a concession by the North, which has made unpredictable diplomatic moves over the past month. The North had proposed the reunions, but then threatened to withdraw consent over a sortie by a U.S. B52 bomber.