South Korea president open for talks with rival North Korea if nuclear progress made

SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea's president says she's still open to talking directly with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un if Pyongyang makes efforts to abandon its nuclear bomb ambitions.

Park Geun-hye said in written answers provided Friday to questions submitted by local and international news agencies that "there is no reason not to hold an inter-Korean summit if a breakthrough comes in solving the North Korean nuclear issue."

The rival Koreas have had some highpoints in Park's term, including high-level talks and reunions of families separated by the Korean War. But there has also been high tension, including threats of war and regular sexist screeds from Pyongyang.

Pyongyang is thought to have a handful of nuclear bombs and to be pursuing a nuclear armed missile that could hit the U.S. mainland.