North, South Korea install hotline between leaders

North and South Korea on Friday installed the first telephone hotline between the two nations’ leaders ahead of a rare summit next week. The South Korean presidential office said the nations carried out a successful test call between the South’s Blue House and North Korea’s State Affairs Commission. “The test call went on for 4 minutes and 19 seconds. … The connection was smooth and the voice quality was very good,” South Korean presidential official Youn Kun Young said at a news briefing. South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un likely will make their first phone call ahead of the Friday summit, officials said. The rare face-to-face meeting between the two leaders will take place at the border village of Panmunjom. South Korean officials said the countries will maintain the hotline even after the summit. The meeting comes amid North Korea’s efforts this year to improve relations with other nations. The North in January reopened a border hotline between the countries. Last month, Kim traveled to Beijing for the first time since assuming power in 2011. North Korea’s official news agency on Thursday said the ruling party’s Central Committee will meet to “discuss and decide the policy issues of new stage in line with the demand of the important historic period of the developing Korean revolution.”