South Korea has welcomed North Korea's positive response to normalizing the inter-Korean communication line after a year and eleven months.

Chief presidential press secretary Yoon Young-chan said Wednesday that the North agreeing to reopen the hotline in the truce village of Panmunjom is a meaningful step, and that the two sides appear to be moving towards a framework for regular talks.

The South Korean government said in a statement that the North had expressed its intentions to reopen the hotline through a high-ranking official's televised appearance.

The government said the two sides will use the hotline to discuss the possibility of holding inter-Korean dialogue and negotiate related issues, as suggested by the South on Tuesday.