North, South Korean Presidents Agree To Hold April Summit

South Korean President Moon Jae-in

South Korea says it has agreed with North Korea to hold summit talks between the two countries' presidents in late April.

South Korea's presidential office also said on March 6 that the two countries have also agreed to set up a telephone hotline between their leaders.

"The South and the North agreed to hold the third summit at... Panmunjom in late April," said Chung Eui-yong, the national security adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-In, referring to the truce village at the heavily fortified border.

Chung said North Korea also pledged that it would freeze its nuclear and missile testing program during the period of dialogue.

The comments were made hours after a South Korean delegation led by Chung returned from a rare visit to the North, where they met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The rival Koreas have been taking steps to repair ties strained by North Korean nuclear weapons and missile tests after the North reached out to the South over the recently concluded Pyeongchang Olympics.

If realized, the summit will be the third meeting between the leaders of the two Koreas, which technically remain at war after the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice instead of a peace treaty.

The previous two summits were held in 2000 and 2007, respectively, under South Korean presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun.

They both met with Kim's father, Kim Jong Il.

Based on reporting by AFP and AP