North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered his officials to begin talks with South Korea, using special telephone line set in the village of Panmunjom, located in the demilitarized area.
According to Reuters, the line was open on Wednesday morning.
Previously, in his New Year speech, Kim Jong-un said he was ready for negotiations – and for sending the national team for the upcoming Olympic Games in Pyeongchang (Republic of Korea), slated for February 2018.
'U.S. officials said Washington would not take any talks between North and South Korea seriously if they did not contribute to denuclearizing North Korea. A State Department spokeswoman said North Korea “might be trying to drive a wedge of some sort”', the news agency wrote.