Flags of North Korea, rear, and South Korea, front, flutter in the wind as pictured from the border area between the two Koreas in Paju, South Korea on Monday, Aug. 9, 2021. (Im Byung-shik/Yonhap via AP)

       The Mainichi Shimbun answers common questions readers may have about communications between North and South Korea following moves to restore lines.

       Question: What happened to the communication lines between North and South Korea?

       Answer: In June 2020, North Korea unilaterally cut inter-Korean communication lines in retaliation for leaflets critical of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that a defectors' organization sent into the North using large balloons. But South Korean President Moon Jae-in has sought dialogue with Kim and the pair have exchanged personal letters, culminating in a July 27, 2021 agreement to restore communication lines.

       Q: Why were the lines established in the first place?

       A: The Korean Peninsula was divided into North and South Korea after the 1950-53 Korean War, and there are no official diplomatic routes between Pyongyang and Seoul. But the two countries needed to set up a system to quickly contact each other in the event of contingencies.

       Q: Since when have they had these lines?

       A: The first was set up in 1971 in the village of Panmunjom on the military demarcation line. It has been severed and restored from time to time, depending on the state of North-South relations. Until June 2020, in addition to the line at Panmunjom, a communication channel existed via the inter-Korean liaison office in the North Korean city of Kaesong. There was also a line between the two militaries used twice a day in the morning and evening. Another hotline exists between the countries' leaders, but it was not restored this time. South Korea's Blue House said it is a matter for future discussion.

       Q: Why have communication channels suddenly been restored?

       A: Last year North Korea was hit by flooding, and it also tightly shut its borders due to concerns over the coronavirus spreading. The country is enduring severe food and supply shortages as a result. It appears Pyongyang is hoping for support from the international community and has displayed a stance of engaging in dialogue with Seoul. In South Korea, expectations of an online summit between the two leaders are growing. But if joint U.S.-South Korea military drills go ahead as scheduled in mid-August, backlash from North Korea is highly likely. It's probably fair to say that whether relations improve is down to North Korea's approach.

       (Answers by Chiharu Shibue, Seoul Bureau)

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