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DPRK, South Korea restore communication lines — report

The South Korean government expressed its hope that the inter-Korean talks will resume shortly now that the hotlines are restored

© AP Photo/Lee Jin-man

MOSCOW, October 4. /TASS/. North Korea and South Korea restored the communication hotlines by 09:00 local time, Yonhap reported Monday, adding that the sides had the first phone call in two months.

According to the report, the South Korean government expressed its hope that the inter-Korean talks will resume shortly now that the hotlines are restored.

On June 9, DPRK blocked all hotlines with South Korea in response to an unauthorized launch of propaganda balloons by South Korean activists. Pyongyang viewed this as an unfriendly act that violates the peace agreements.

The hotlines were temporarily restored in late July this year, but North Korea stopped answering the calls shortly after the US-South Korean military drills kicked off. On September 24, KCNA published Publicity and Information Department head Kim Yo-Jong’s statement saying that Pyongyang is ready to discuss improvement of relations with Seoul, should it abolish its hostile policy.

Last week, North Korean lead Kim Jong-Un stated his readiness to restore the hotlines with South Korea in early October. According to KCNA, such steps will improve the relations and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

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