The government of the South Korea is beginning to prepare for stable contacts with North Korea after its leader Kim Jong-un announced plans to restore inter-Korean communication channels in early October, a representative of the South Korean ministry of association told reporters.

As soon as the channels are restored, Seoul plans to repeat the proposal to create a system of meetings of separated families in the format of videoconference, and then exchange views on the main issues of inter-Korean relations, the official said.

Earlier, Kim Jong-un announced his readiness to restore communication lines with South Korea in early October. According to him, such actions will help improve relations and establish peace on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea on June 9 last year blocked all communication lines with South Korea in response to the unauthorized dispatch of balloons with campaign leaflets by activists of a South Korean non-governmental organization across the border. Pyongyang viewed these actions as a hostile act violating bilateral peace agreements. In retaliation, all telephones at the permanent inter-Korean liaison office were cut off, including the military-to-military communications channel.

Later, North Korea blew up a building in the border town of Kaesong, where the inter-Korean liaison office was located.