UN Secretary-General welcomes reopened Korean hotline

“It is always a positive development to have a dialogue between the DPRK and the RoK,” said UN spokesman Farhan Haq.

Guterres “welcomes the reopening of the inter-Korean communication channel,” he added.

Earlier, on the same day, the two nations reopened the communication channel that had been shut since 2016, following an offer from the DPRK’s leader Kim Jong-Un to send a team to next month's Winter Olympics in the RoK.

Yoon Young-chan, Senior Press Secretary for ROK President Moon Jae-in, told reporters that the reopening had great meaning, saying it would make possible regular inter-Korean talks.

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 15h30 local time.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Beijing supported efforts by Pyongyang and Seoul to use the Pyeongchang games to improve relations, following DPRK’s repeated missile launches and its sixth and most powerful nuclear test last year.

"China welcomes and supports the two sides to improve ties, ease tensions and make concrete efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula," said Mr. Geng, adding that all parties should take the opportunity and work for the same goal./.