Reopening the hotline between the two Koreas, North Korea has resumed direct contact the South through a military hotline. The first contact, ordered by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, did not however mention anything on future talks or the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Games.
The chairman of North Korea's committee on inter-Korean Affairs announced on Wednesday through state media.
Lee Son-gwon, Chairman of North Korea's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification said "North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered the restoration of the South-North hotline starting 3 p.m." which is 3:30PM South Korea time.
He said through this channel "we will discuss matters related to sending a delegation to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and the proposed talks.:
The committee's chair emphasized that on the orders of their leader, North Korean officials will cooperate with the South Korean counterparts, and he once again expressed hope for the success of the upcoming 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
The chairman went on to say that the North's leader welcomed the decision by the South Korean presidential office to offer talks, calling it a positive move.
However, it is unknown whether the two sides will talk only about sending North Korean athletes to the Games or whether they'll cover other issues such as inter-Korean family reunion and resuming civilian exchanges.
South Korea's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae welcomed the North's reopening of the inter-Korean communication channel saying it's a move toward making communication possible at all times.
Source: Arirang News
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