Two Koreas reopen maritime communication channel


FE Team | Published: July 01, 2018 10:58:03 | Updated: July 02, 2018 17:04:37


South Korean President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during their meeting at the Peace House. Korea Summit Press Pool/Pool via Reuters.

North and South Korea reopened a maritime communication channel on Sunday, with vessels from the two countries making radio contact for the first time in a decade, South Korea’s Defence Ministry said in a statement.

A North Korean patrol boat responded immediately when the South Korean Navy contacted it via an international radio channel at 9am Sunday in the western sea, normalising the maritime communication channel for the first time in 10 years, according to the ministry.

The move showed the two Koreas were “taking practical steps” to uphold agreements made on April 27 when their leaders decided to defuse military tensions in a gradual manner, Reuters reported quoting an official from the ministry.

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