Xinhua Asia-Pacific News Summary at 1000 GMT, Jan. 4

SEOUL -- South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Thursday that her country will push simultaneously for improved relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and concerted efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.

Kang made the remarks during her meeting with Marc Knapper, acting U.S. ambassador to South Korea, and Gen. Vincent Brooks, commander of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), according to Seoul's foreign ministry. (S.Korea-DPRK-Denuclearization)

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JAKARTA -- The Indonesian government has narrowed the dangerous zone of Mount Agung volcano in Bali resort island, allowing thousands of displaced people living outside the zone to return their home, a government official said here on Thursday.

The country's volcanology agency announced on Thursday that the evacuation zone from the crater was narrowed to 6 km radius from 8 to 10 km. (Indonesia-Volcano-Eruption)

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SEOUL -- There was no specific discussion through the restored inter-Korean communications channel in the truce village of Panmunjom, Seoul's unification ministry said Thursday.

South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) reopened the cross-border hotline the previous day, resuming the line of direct dialogue between the two Koreas in almost two years. (S.Korea-DPRK-Hotline)

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SEOUL -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Thursday invited the victims of Japan's sex slavery during World War II to the presidential Blue House, apologizing for the 2015 agreement over the victims between South Korea and Japan.

President Moon met with eight surviving comfort women victims and had lunch together at the presidential complex after the Moon government's review result over the 2015 agreement revealed secret deals between the two countries, according to the Blue House. (S.Korea-Japan-Comfort Women) Enditem