South Korea urges Pyongyang to restore communication hotline

South Korean officials on Sunday called on North Korea to restore the communication hotline between the two countries, one day after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s sister signaled that the reclusive country is open to renewed communication.

On Saturday, Kim Yo Jong said North Korea would be open to participating in another summit with South Korea.

“I believe only when fairness and mutual respect can be maintained smooth communication between the North and the South can take place,” she said.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry on Sunday said her statement was “meaningful,” The Associated Press reported. In order to facilitate another summit, the ministry said in a statement that the hotline between the two Koreas must be operational once again.

In July, the communication hotline between the two countries was restored for the first time in almost a year. However, the resumption of communication lasted only a few weeks.

Earlier this month, the two Koreas carried out missile tests within hours of each other, with North Korea warning that such tests would threaten the ongoing relationship between the countries.

And just two weeks ago, Kim Yo Jong warned of the “complete destruction” of relations between the two nations and blasted South Korean President Moon Jae-in for calling North Korea’s missile test a provocation.

“If the president joins in the slander and detraction [against us], this will be followed by counter actions, and the North-South relations will be pushed toward a complete destruction,” she said. “We do not want that.”

During the United Nations General Assembly, Moon expressed his desire to formally end the Korean War, which ended in 1953 in an armistice but without a peace treaty.

“An end-of-war declaration will give new hope and courage to everyone around the world aspiring for peace beyond the Korean Peninsula,” said Moon.

However, North Korea refused to agree to ending the war.

“Nothing will change as long as the political circumstances around the DPRK remains unchanged and the U.S. hostile policy is not shifted, although the termination of the war is declared hundreds of times,” said North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Ri Thae Song.

“Nothing will change as long as the political circumstances around the DPRK remains unchanged and the U.S. hostile policy is not shifted, although the termination of the war is declared hundreds of times,” he added.