The national spy agency said Tuesday that the recent restoration of inter-Korean communication lines was requested by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
North Korea restored communication lines with South Korea last Thursday, more than a year after severing them.
In a plenary session of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee, the National Intelligence Service(NIS) reported that the two Koreas have communicated twice a day since restoring the lines.
Rep. Ha Taekeung of the main opposition People Power Party(PPP) quoted the NIS as saying that since last Thursday, the two Koreas have been exchanging information every day on illegal fishing by Chinese vessels via the military communication line in western waters.
The NIS reportedly assessed that North Korea appears to have reconnected the lines after it was requested by Kim, following the exchange of letters between him and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
Regarding a recent warning from the North against joint military exercises between Seoul and Washington, the NIS said Pyongyang appears to have expressed its intent to take corresponding steps regarding inter-Korean relations if the planned exercise is cancelled.
The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un warned on Sunday that annual military exercises between South Korea and the U.S. will undermine prospects for inter-Korean relations.
The NIS also denied the possibility of a new inter-Korean summit, saying that South Korea has not made any proposal.