UN chief welcomes reopening of inter-Korean communication channel

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday welcomed the reopening of a communication channel between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK).

In response to questions about the DPRK, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for Guterres, said it was always a positive development to have dialogue between the two countries.

"In that context, the secretary-general welcomes the reopening of the inter-Korean communication channel," Haq told reporters. "We remain committed to ensuring the implementation of Security Council resolutions on the de-nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and hope that enhanced diplomatic initiatives will help to achieve that goal."

The DPRK and the ROK re-opened the hotline in its truce village of Panmunjom amid rising expectations for the DPRK's participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in the ROK.

In his New Year's speech, DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un said the DPRK will take necessary measures to prepare for participating in the 2018 Winter Olympics in February.

The inter-Korean hotline was suspended after Seoul closed an industrial park in the DPRK's border town of Kaesong following Pyongyang's nuclear test in January 2016. Enditem