South and North Korea have agreed on a six-month-long joint project to help excavate an ancient palace site despite continued military tensions, officials said Sunday.

The Unification Ministry approved plans by related historians and officials to visit the North's border town of Kaesong for the project to excavate the site of Manwoldae, a Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) palace, they said.

A group of more than 10 members of a related historians' association will travel to Kaesong on Monday, followed by more trips by about 70 others over the coming six months. Some officials from the Cultural Heritage Administration will also join the program.

"The excavation of Manwoldae, registered as a world cultural heritage in 2013, is a project cared about by late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and the South Korean government is also interested in it," a ministry official said. "It's unusual (for the two sides) to agree on a six-month period for a joint archaeological survey."

Seoul earlier decided to provide 276 million won ($248,000) in assistance for the project in line with efforts to promote social and cultural exchanges with Pyongyang.

The inter-Korean project began in 2007, but suffered continued setbacks amid drawn-out stand-offs between the two Koreas. (Yonhap)