Liaison office opened along the North and South Korea border

North and South Korea on Friday opened a liaison office along their shared border, ahead of a third meeting this year between the nations’ leaders. The office, located in the North Korean border town of Kaesong, is the first of its kind since the Koreas were divided in 1945 at the end of World War II.

During Friday’s opening ceremony, South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon said the facility will enable delegations from the two countries to “sit face to face, exchange our thoughts fast and accurately and put our heads together to resolve difficult matters.”

“The two sides are now able to take a large step toward peace, prosperity, and unification of the Korean Peninsula by quickly and frankly discussing issues arising from inter-Korean relations,” said Ri Son Gwon, chairman of North Koreas’ Committee for Peaceful Reunification.

The two nations previously used telephones and faxes to communicate.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in will meet next week with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang to discuss denuclearization efforts, among other issues.