South Korea has said it has decided to resume sending aid to North Korea through the UN children's agency UNICEF.

The move is seen by observers as another sign that animosities between the two Koreas are continuing to ease.

Diplomats are seeking to restart long-stalled nuclear disarmament talks and South Korean religious and cultural delegations are visiting the North.

South Korea halted its UNICEF donations last year when two deadly incidents blamed on North Korea, the sinking of a ship and an artillery attack on an island, killed 50 South Koreans and spiked tension between the two sides.

Seoul's Unification Ministry said on Monday that it would donate about $5.7m to UNICEF programmes to send medicines and vaccines and help malnourished North Korean children.

Last month, South Korea approved a shipment to North Korea through the World Health Organisation.