North Korea Can Speak With Seoul 24 Hours a Day at New Office
- Office allows 24-hour communication for first time since war
- Seoul says channel could help bring about denuclearization
A man takes a selfie in front of a sign board showing the distance to Gaeseong near the DMZ.
Photographer: Jung Yeon-je/AFP via Getty Images
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South Korea opened a liaison office at an industrial park it sponsors in the North Korean city of Gaeseong on Friday, allowing rival officials to communicate around-the-clock for the first time since the start of the Korean War.
Seoul’s Unification Ministry said more than 50 South Koreans crossed the border to Gaeseong to attend the opening ceremony. It said it hoped the new communication channel would ease tensions between the two countries, aiming toward bringing about denuclearization of North Korea.