North, South Korea restore emergency hotline

Seoul, July 27: North and South Korea have agreed to restore their suspended hotline channels, according to statements published Tuesday from both sides.

The emergency telephone hotlines between North and South Korea have been in use, with several interruptions, since the 1970s. Most recently, they were severed by Pyongyang in June of 2020.

But the leaders of both countries have reportedly exchanged letters since April and agreed to restore the hotlines as a first step.

"According to the agreement made between the top leaders, the north and the south took a measure to re-operate all inter-Korean communication liaison lines from 10:00 on July 27," the North's official KCNA news agency reported.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in's office said he had exchanged personal letters with the North's leader Kim Jong Un to improve ties.

"The two leaders also agreed to restore mutual trust between the two Koreas as soon as possible and move forward with the relationship again," Moon's office said in a statement.

Source: DW