Two Koreas restore communications

Mending ties: An art troupe performing in front of the Pyongyang Grand Theatre to mark the Korean War armistice anniversary. — AP

Seoul: North and South Korea signalled a surprise thaw in relations, announcing the restoration of cross-border communications severed more than a year ago and an agreement between their two leaders to improve ties.

The joint announcement yesterday, which coincided with the anniversary of the end of the Korean War, was the first positive development since a series of summits between the North’s Kim Jong-un and the South’s President Moon Jae-in in 2018 failed to achieve any significant breakthrough.