Amid a blaze of flashbulbs, South Korea's conservative ruling party head Hong Joon-pyo returns from a rare visit to his isolated northern neighbour.<br/> Hong was paying a visit to Kaesong industrial park in North Korea - the only joint project between the two countries.<br/> The park employs more than 46,000 North Koreans in South Korean-owned businesses and provides valuable hard currency for the sanctions-hit North.<br/> Hong did not meet any North Korean officials but the visit was still a significant step after three years of frozen ties.<br/> (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) SOUTH KOREA'S RULING GRAND NATIONAL PARTY HEAD HONG JOON-PYO SAYING:<br/> "With the visit there is a momentum, we will try to transform the government's policy towards the North, to make it a more flexible principle of mutual reinforcement."<br/> The rare visit did not stop South Korea showing off its military might in a joint live-fire exercise with U.S. forces however - ahead of its 63rd Armed Forces Day on Saturday.<br/> More than 1300 soldiers took part in the drill using various weapons including the K-1 and K-9 mobile gun.<br/> Relations between North and South Korea reached breaking point last year when the South blamed the North for a torpedo attack that left 46 of its sailors dead.<br/> The North denies any involvement.<br/> Sunita Rappai, Reuters
