(Writes through)
By Jeremy Laurence
SEOUL Feb 8 (Reuters) - Military officers from the rival Koreas met at their heavily armed border on Tuesday for their first talks since North Korea attacked a southern island in November, with analysts sceptical about the North's motives.
The talks clear one of the roadblocks to a possible resumption of six-way talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear-weapons programme, last held more than two years ago when the North walked out, announcing the process dead.
North Korean Colonel Ri Son-kwon patted his counterpart from the South, Col. Moon Sang-gyun, on the shoulder and they shook hands before they started negotiations at the Panmunjom truce village, video footage showed. They have met several times over the years.
"When they (North Korea) need something, which usually means money, they first drive tensions high, then switch to the charm offensive and start talks in order to get something," said Andrei Lankov, a North Korea expert at Kookmin University in Seoul.
"If they do not get what they need, they turn the switch back to the confrontational mood."
The meeting is the first between the rivals since November, when the North bombarded the island of Yeonpyeong in disputed waters off the west coast killing four people. Continued...
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