Panmunjum liaison offices to be reopen on Monday

The two Koreas will hold a short ceremony on August 14 reopen their liaison offices at Panmunjum, which will greatly facilitate communications between the two governments. The reopening of the liaison offices is a result of one of many agreements hammered out during the first-ever inter-Korean ministerial talks last month, and comes after a long interruption since their closure in November 1996.

Each side will locate its respective liaison office at the House of Freedom south of Panmunjum and at the Panmun Gak, north of Panmunjum. The South`s liaison office will be manned by seven officials led by Communication Chief Byun Kyung-Sub of the Inter-Korean Communication Department of the Unification Ministry. The North`s office will be manned by six officials led by the Chief of the Committee for the Peaceful Unification of Korea Kim Young-Chul.

The two offices will have two phones connected directly with optic cables and will be in operation from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

The South will have a short ceremony on Monday at the House of Freedom with Minister of Unification Park Jae-Kyu, among others, in attendance.