The long-awaited inter-Korean liaison office opens today at North Korea’s southern border city of Kaesong.
It was originally planned to open last month,... but was delayed due to a diplomatic deadlock with the U.S.
For more, let's speak to our Park Hee-jun at Seoul’s Unification Ministry.
Hee-jun, tell us more about why the office is so important for the two Koreas.
The liaison office is a 24-hour, all-year-round communication channel between South and North Korea,... which aims to boost inter-Korean exchanges.
It's the first time since the two Koreas were divided that such a channel is being opened.
An opening ceremony will be held at the complex in about half an hour,... attended by some 50 people from each side.
From the South,... participants will include the minister and vice minister of the Unification Ministry.
There will also be a fair number of experts and businesspeople.
To help you better understand the liaison office...
The two Koreas have been using the Panmunjom channel.
But it has its limits because of the distance and because it didn't operate around the clock.
The liaison office in Kaesong corrects those issues, and what's more,... the office can send messages directly to South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
A regular meeting will be held every week to discuss urgent issues relevant to the two Koreas, including economic cooperation.
And the facility will be supervised by the vice minister of Seoul's Unification Ministry, Chun hae-sung.
It's not yet known who the representative from the North will be,... but it will be someone at the vice minister level.
Around 20 officers from each side will reside at the office,... working 9 to 5 shifts during the weekdays, as well as overnight shifts, and weekend duty.
The office will begin operating right after the ceremony,... and that will mark the start of a permanent contact channel for the two Koreas,... a fundamental step for stabilizing inter-Korean ties.
And the Unification Ministry says,... that depending on the level of improvement in relations,... South and North Korea could consider setting up offices in each other's capitals.
The liaison office was something agreed in the Panmunjom Declaration,... and it will contribute to improving inter-Korean relations and helping establish peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Mark, I'll hand things back to you.
