SEOUL, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's ruling Democratic Party positively saw the New Year address made by Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), as he showed his willingness to discuss with Seoul about the DPRK's possible participation in the 2018 Winter Olympics.

The party's spokesperson told a media briefing that Kim mentioned the successful hosting of PyeongChang Winter Olympics in his New Year's speech and proposed inter-Korean talks to take necessary measures including the sending of the DPRK delegation to the South Korea-hosted Winter Olympic Games.

The winter sports event was scheduled to kick off in February in South Korea's eastern county of PyeongChang.

The spokesperson said the governing party viewed Kim's address positively, calling for the South Korean government to suggest a ministerial-level dialogue to the DPRK discussing comprehensive ways to improve inter-Korean relations.

Kim, the top DPRK leader, said in his New Year speech earlier in the day that his country will take necessary measures to prepare to take part in the sports event, including the inter-Korean talks on the DPRK's participation.

He said the two sides should reduce the highly tense military confrontation to create a peaceful environment for reconciliation.

The new South Korean government under President Moon Jae-in, who took office in May, had offered to Pyongyang holding talks to ease military tensions on the Korean Peninsula and discuss humanitarian issues on the reunion of the separated families between the two Koreas.

People in South Korea and the DPRK have been banned from exchanging letters and visiting each other since the 1950-1953 Korean War ended in an armistice. The peninsula is technically in a state of war since then.