The two Koreas held contact via their communication line in the truce village of Panmunjeom for the third straight day on Friday. 

A Unification Ministry official said the contact came at around 9:30 a.m. and the two sides confirmed that the phone and fax lines were working normally.

The official said there was no word from the North on Seoul’s proposal to hold high-level talks next Tuesday. 

Observers believe that the North could issue a response to Seoul’s offer some time on Friday given that on Thursday South Korea and the U.S. agreed not to hold joint military exercises during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

Another Unification Ministry official said the North is likely to give a reply on Friday. The official said the North is expected to take into consideration the postponement of the joint military drill in making a decision on Seoul’s offer.