The Unification Ministry stressed on Monday that the restoration of inter-Korean communication channels is a starting point for rebuilding trust between the two Koreas. 

Spokesperson Lee Jong-joo relayed the ministry’s stance in a briefing when asked about Pyongyang’s statement, in which it downplayed the significance of reconnecting communication lines with Seoul last week. 

Lee said the ministry will be prudent and not be overly hasty in its efforts to improve South-North relations, and ensure that the progress made thus far can lead to a resumption of bilateral talks. 

In the Sunday statement, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s powerful sister, Yo-jong, said that the restoration was nothing but a physical reconnection and that it would be a hasty judgment for the South to interpret it as more. 

The South Korean ministry proposed to Pyongyang last Thursday, two days after the restoration, the establishment of a virtual conference system between the two Koreas, but the North has yet to respond.