Talks between the highest-ranking North Korean delegation to visit South Korea since President Park Geun-hye took office and their southern counterparts started in Incheon, official sources said Saturday.

   The luncheon meeting between the two sides kicked off at 1:50 a.m. at a restaurant in port city, with South Korea being represented by Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae, national security advisor Kim Kwan-jin and the National Security Office's vice chief, Kim Kyou-hyun.

   The North sent Hwang Pyong-so, Choe Ryong-hae and Kim Yang-gon, who arrived via a direct air route from Pyongyang to Incheon earlier in the day.

   The North's delegation is ostensibly in the country to meet North Korean athletes and attend the closing ceremony of the Incheon Asian Games, but Pyongyang watchers think they have been dispatched to send a message to the South and try to ease inter-Korean tensions.

   Hwang who holds the rank of vice marshal in the Korean People's Army was recently made the director of the military's General Political Bureau, the top military post. He is widely viewed as the No. 2 man in the communist country after leader Kim Jong-un. He landed at Incheon International Airport in full military uniform.

   Kim Yang-gon is the long-standing head of the United Front Department of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), tasked with overseeing the activities of sleeper agents operating in South Korea, while Choe, who is a secretary of the WPK, and head of the Physical Culture and Sports Guidance Committee, is said to still have influence despite stepping down from his post of vice chairman of the powerful National Defense Commission.

   South Korea's national security adviser, Kim Kwan-jin, said, before the start of the talks, that autumn represents the season of reaping harvests and bilateral relations should move forward.

   "Since people holding special positions have come to Incheon as delegates every effort should be made so cross border relations can develop," the presidential adviser stressed.

   Before heading to the meeting he had pointed out there were many outstanding issues that needed to be resolved, without elaborating on details.

   The North's Kim said he hopes the latest dialogue can lead to improved cross-border ties and said Pyongyang appreciated the warm hospitality extended by South Koreans to its athletes during the Asiad.

   He added that the victory by the two Koreas in the men's and women's football games in Incheon is a source of pride for the Korean people.

   Besides Kim's comments, Choe nodded in the affirmative to questions raised by reporters in regards to prospects of the very high-level talks making headway before he attended the closed-door meeting.

   Related to the talks, there has been speculation that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may have sent a personal letter addressed to the South Korean president.

   There have even been forecasts that the delegation could meet Park in person to convey their message.

   On the possibility of the meeting, the Seoul unification ministry said no such event has been scheduled in advance.

   A source in the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae also said Park will not be present for the closing ceremony of the Asian Games that will make it hard for her to meet directly with the North Koreans, unless her schedule is changed. (Yonhap)