Koreas discuss establishing hotline between leaders

SEOUL, April 7 (Yonhap) -- The two Koreas held talks on Saturday to discuss establishing a direct telephone link between their leaders and other communication issues ahead of a historic summit between them later this month.

The meeting at the North Korean side of the border village of Panmunjom was attended by three working-level officials from the South and their three to four counterparts from the North, according to Seoul officials.

Intensively discussed during the talks that lasted for about three hours were such issues as where to put the hotline, how to operate it and technical measures to prevent possible wiretapping, they said.

The hotline between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, if installed, will mark the first of its kind between the two Koreas that technically remain at war.

Saturday's meeting follows a separate working-level dialogue held Thursday to discuss details of the April 27 summit between Moon and Kim, such as security measures and protocols for the leaders.

The Koreas will hold another round of talks next week to finalize the hotline issue while the date for the two leaders' first telephone conversation will be set in a high-level meeting expected to be held on April 18 or later, according to the officials.

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