The Two Koreas Open Joint Liaison Office

A joint liaison office building has been opened in the North Korean city of Kaesong to demonstrate a new and unprecedented relationship between North and South Korea. The liaison office's inauguration comes days before a scheduled Sept. 18 to 20 visit by South Korean President Moon Jae-in to the North.

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"A new chapter in history is open here today," said South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, during the opening ceremony. Minister Cho will serve as co-head for the office, along with Jon Chong-su, who is the vice chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country, the co-head for the North Korean representation.

"This liaison office is another symbol of peace jointly created by the South and the North," stressed Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, adding that both countries will be in constant contact to benefit their relations.

"From today, South and North Korea can have direct consultations 24 hours a day and 365 days a year over issues relating to advances in inter-Korean relations, peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula,"  he added.

Both countries will deploy around 20 representatives to work in the liaison office building, which has separate offices and joint conference rooms. The office intends to promote exchange between the countries and help with the normalization of relations.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un crossed the South Korean border in April to meet with President Moon to hold the first intra-Korea summit in over a decade, in a bid to start a new era of relations on the Korean peninsula.

The meeting represented a historic an important step toward long-desired peace between both Koreas.