North and South Korea have Re-Established Hotlines

North and South Korea have re-established hotlines that were cut off by Pyongyang a few months ago this morning, Reuters reported.

Last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed readiness to re-establish liaison lines that Pyongyang cut off in early August - just days after they opened for the first time in a year - in protest of joint US-South Korea military exercises.

The North Korean news agency CCNA reported that the lines will be restored on Monday at 9 o'clock local time. South Korea has confirmed that the regular communication, which takes place twice a day, has been restored in time through military channels and other lines operated by the Ministry of National Unification, in addition to the sea channel, which is implemented through an international network for merchant ships.

In a statement on the reconstruction of the lines, CCNA called on the South Korean authorities "to make positive efforts to put the North-South ties on the right track and to settle the important tasks that must be given priority to open up bright prospects in the future."

For its part, South Korea's defense ministry said the hotlines had helped prevent unexpected clashes and expressed hope that their recovery would lead to a significant reduction in military tensions.

A spokesman for the US State Department said the US State Department strongly supported inter-Korean cooperation and described the restoration of communication channels as "an important element in building a more stable environment on the Korean Peninsula."

/BTA