The two Koreas agreed to restore communication channels from Tuesday, more than 13 months after North Korea unilaterally severed them in protest against defector groups' anti-Pyongyang leaflet activities.

At an emergency press briefing on Tuesday, senior presidential secretary for public communication Park Soo-hyun said the channels reopened at 10:00 a.m.

The restoration comes 413 days after the North cut off all lines, including the one at the truce village of Panmunjeom, on June 9 last year.

According to the presidential office, President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have exchanged letters since April, to communicate on improving inter-Korean relations.

The latest agreement to reestablish communications links was reached between the two leaders. However, there was no discussion on holding an inter-Korean summit, the office said.

The senior secretary said Moon and Kim also agreed to restore mutual trust between the two sides and move forward in developing cross-border ties.