The two Koreas have normalized the operation of their economic cooperation office inside the joint Gaeseong Industrial Complex in North Korea. The office has been shut down since the North imposed unilateral sanctions last December.

Thirteen government and civic officials from South Korea and six from North Korea resumed operation at the office on Monday morning.

The normalized operation of the office will facilitate the resumption of civic-level inter-Korean projects and considerably defuse the difficulties related businesspeople have had following strained South-North relations.