SEOUL: Regular traffic across the heavily fortified border dividing the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK) will be restored this week, officials in Seoul said yesterday amid further signs of improved relations between the two nations.

The DPRK's state radio station, meanwhile, quoted leader Kim Jong-il as saying that the US should abandon its "hostile policy" toward the DPRK and sign a peace treaty with the nation to reduce tension on the peninsula. His comments echoed statements he has made in the past. Pyongyang Radio didn't say when Kim made the remarks.

The resumption of regular border traffic between the DPRK and the ROK, set for today, is the latest indication of efforts by Pyongyang to reach out to Seoul and Washington, after months of provocations that included nuclear and missile tests.