Inter-Korean Communication Line Restored After 55 Days... Closing Call Completed (Comprehensive Report 2)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] North Korea reactivated the inter-Korean communication line on the 4th, restoring the contact channel between the two Koreas. This came 55 days after the line was cut off in protest against the joint crisis management staff training (CMST), a preliminary exercise for the South Korea-U.S. joint military drills, which began on August 10.

On the same day, the Ministry of Unification stated, "The closing call at the Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office at 5 p.m. today proceeded normally." According to the Ministry, the opening call at 9 a.m. at the Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office was also conducted normally, restoring the inter-Korean communication line.

Our side conducts opening and closing calls daily at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., respectively.

The Ministry of Unification evaluated that "the connection of the inter-Korean communication line has laid the foundation for stability on the Korean Peninsula and the restoration of inter-Korean relations," and added, "The government hopes to promptly resume dialogue through the stable operation of the inter-Korean communication line, begin substantive discussions on restoring inter-Korean relations including the implementation of inter-Korean agreements, and advance efforts toward peace settlement on the Korean Peninsula."

This restoration of the communication line follows North Korean Workers' Party General Secretary Kim Jong-un's announcement of his intention to restore the inter-Korean communication line during his policy speech on the 29th of last month.

Not only the Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office but also the military communication line was restored at 9 a.m. The Ministry of National Defense stated, "As of 9 a.m. on the 4th, the military communication lines in the East and West Sea areas have been fully restored and all functions normalized," adding, "Currently, all functions including wired calls between the military authorities of the two Koreas via optical cables and fax transmission/reception for document exchange are operating normally."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.