Inter-Korean communication line operating normally

SEOUL, July 4 (Yonhap) -- The inter-Korean communication line at the truce village of Panmunjom was in normal operation Thursday, a day after Pyongyang invited South Korean businessmen to visit the Kaesong Industrial Complex, the government said. The Ministry of Unification said the North answered the call placed on the Red Cross phone line at 9 a.m. The communist country had ignored all past attempts to make contact following the last minute cancellation of senior-level talks on June 11. The ministry in charge of conducting dialogue with the North said the acceptance of the morning call was expected as Pyongyang said late Wednesday after it invited South Koreans to the industrial border town that it would normalize the communication line. Those invited have manufacturing facilities at the Kaesong complex where work has been suspended since April 9, when the North ordered its 53,000 laborers not to report for work. There are two communication lines that run through the liaison office at Panmunjom, with the other being a fax line. On regular working days the South and North exchange calls at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. yonngong@yna.co.kr (END)