'365일 소통채널' 남북공동연락사무소 오늘 개소..."또 하나의 역사"

The two Koreas liaison office is now ready.
The contact point should have began operations last month, but due to concerns from Washington that it maybe a step too far, the opening was delayed.
As the facility will enable the two sides to get in touch virtually any time, it's looked to play a big role in stabilizing inter-Korean relations, and boosting exchanges.
Park Hee-jun tells us more. A 24-hour, round-the-clock communication channel.
For the first time in the two Koreas' history,... a full-time liaison office has been launched to enhance inter-Korean exchanges.

"The liaison office has opened a new chapter in our history. It's a symbol of peace created by the two Koreas."

"It was achieved by the two Koreas' efforts. We must continue to implement the Panmunjom Declaration,... the goal of the people.

The facility will be supervised by the Vice Minister of South Korea's Unification Ministry, Chun hae-sung,... and his North Korean counterpart Jon Jong Su.
Around 20 officers from each side will reside at the office,... working 9 to 5 shifts during the week, as well as overnight shifts, and weekend duty.

A regular meeting will be held at least once a week to discuss urgent issues relevant to the two Koreas, including joint economic projects.
The office will also support cooperation between civilians,... and enhance information exchanges for businesspeople.
But more importantly,... it can send messages directly to South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

"The reason that we have one, diplomatically speaking,... is before having an embassy or formal representative office in both capitals. So in that sense, it signifies permanence of the improved relations between the two Koreas. So it’s really symbolic in nature, but at the same time,... it shows that politically both countries will have to take into account the inter-Korean relations when it comes to formulating their external policies from now on."

And according to the Unification Ministry,... depending on the level of improvement in relations,... South and North Korea could consider setting up offices in each other's capitals.

"Setting up a liaison office was one of the agreements reached at the April 27 Inter-Korean summit. It will be a significant step in advancing inter-Korean relations,... and establishing peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. Park Hee-jun, Arirang News."