The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK) held their daily liaison phone call on Wednesday after a nearly 14-month suspension, reported Yonhap, citing the ROK's Ministry of Unification.

All inter-Korean communication liaison lines were restored at 10 a.m. on Tuesday in line with an agreement made between the top leaders, according to DPRK's official KCNA news agency. 

In a separate statement, the ROK's Defense Ministry also announced the opening of military communication lines. 

The two sides are supposed to hold regular phone calls twice a day, at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The communication lines had been severed since June last year when the DPRK cut them off in protest against Seoul's failure to stop civic activists from sending anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets into the DPRK.

The development "will have positive effects on the improvement and development of the North-South relations," KCNA said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Tuesday said China always supports the DPRK and the ROK in improving their relations through dialogue and consultation and promoting reconciliation and cooperation.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson also welcomed the reopening of direct communication lines, calling it a "positive step."