DPRK-ROK Talks: DPRK and South Korea re-establish phone contact

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There are hopes that the reopening of the hotline may lead to high-level face-to-face talks in the demilitarized zone next week. CGTN's Jack Barton has this report from Seoul.

It is here at the Korean demilitarised zone that officials from north and south finally re-established phone contact on Wednesday. And it is here face-to-face talks could soon take place in one of the meeting rooms straddling both sides of the divided peninsula.

BAIK TAE-HYUN SOUTH KOREAN UNIFICATION MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON "The government welcomes North Korea's positive response to our suggestion to normalise the border hotline. We will consult with North Korea over working-level issues of our inter-Korean talks offered through this Panmunjom hotline."

The hotline was cut by Pyongyang in 2016 after Seoul shuttered a joint industrial complex. Its reconnection comes after DPRK leader Kim Jong Un said his country would send a delegation to the Winter Games in February.

JACK BARTON SEOUL The Pyeongchang Winter Olympics are to be staged about 80 kilometres south of the heavily armed demilitarised zone. South Korea's president Moon Jae-in has long hoped the DPRK would attend, and that attendance could lead to talks on denuclearisation. For now the DPRK wants to keep communication simple.

RI SON GWON, CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE FOR THE PEACEFUL REUNIFICATION OF KOREA "It's about finding the right time to have talks about sending people to the Pyeongchang Olympics."

In his New Year speech Kim Jong Un said the DPRK had no plans to halt its program to build nuclear tipped missiles.

KIM JONG UN DPRK SUPREME LEADER "The entire United States is within range of our nuclear weapons, and a nuclear button is always on my desk. This is reality, not a threat."

U.S. president Donald Trump responded to that message with a tweet stating his button is bigger, more powerful and works. Trump's tweets reflect widespread skepticism in the United States where there is concern talks between Seoul and Pyongyang could drive a wedge between Seoul and Washington.

Here in South Korea though the mood is more upbeat. The government hopes the winter Olympics could be a window of opportunity to de-escalate tensions on the peninsula. Though Korean intelligence officials say there are signs another missile test could be just days away. Jack Barton, CGTN, Seoul.