S. Korea welcomes reopening of communication channel with DPRK

South Korea's presidential palace Blue House welcomed the reopening of communication channel with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Wednesday, saying it would indicate a restored inter-Korean dialogue in a regular way.

File photo of Yoon Young-chan. [Photo: IC]

Yoon Young-chan, senior press secretary for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, told reporters that the reopening had a great meaning, saying it would make possible inter-Korean talks in a regular manner.

The comments followed the DPRK's announcement earlier in the day that it will reopen the communication channel in the truce village of Panmunjom from 3:30 p.m. local time.

The inter-Korean communication channel had been cut off since the previous South Korean government unilaterally closed down the inter-Korean industrial zone in the DPRK's border town of Kaesong following Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test in January 2016.

Seoul's unification ministry said in a government statement that it hailed Pyongyang's positive response to Seoul's offer Tuesday to resume the communication channel in Panmunjom.

It said South Korea will make working-level discussions on issues on the senior-level, inter-governmental dialogue, which Seoul proposed Tuesday to Pyongyang, through the restored communication channel.

South Korea offered to the DPRK holding such talks on Jan. 9 to discuss the dispatch of the DPRK's delegation to the 2018 Winter Olympics set to be held in February in South Korea's eastern county of Pyeongchang.

The dialogue overture came a day after the DPRK's leader said in his New Year address that his country was willing to participate in the South Korea-hosted winter sports event and talk with South Korea about the DPRK's delegation dispatch.