SEOUL – North and South Korea will resume a joint archaeological excavation of the ruins of a 10th-century palace in the North, the South Korean Cultural Heritage Administration said in a statement on Tuesday.

A new phase of the excavations to uncover the remains of Manwoldae Palace in the North Korean city of Kaesong is set to be carried out between Sept. 27-Dec. 27.

South Korean researchers will participate in the project after Oct. 2 when an inauguration ceremony will be held, the statement added.

The construction of the palace began in 919 AD. It was the capital of the Goryeo kingdom that governed a large part of the Korean Peninsula until its downfall at the hands of Joseon dynasty in 1392.

Between 2007-2015, the two countries carried out seven rounds of Manwoldae excavations covering more than 250,000 square meters (around 62 acres), a plot where some 40 buildings and 16,000 relics were discovered.

However, growing tensions between the two countries due to advancements in the North Korean weapons program and the strained ties between Kim Jong-un’s regime and the conservative South Korean government between 2008-2017 led to the project being suspended.

In a meeting held on Sept. 6 historians and officials of the two countries agreed to resume the excavations and finalized dates and other details of the operations.

The experts also discussed the possibility of launching other joint explorations.