South and North Korea fully restored their military communication line on the eastern part of the peninsula Wednesday, Seoul's defense ministry said, in a step to build confidence and reduce cross-border tensions.

The complete restoration of fax and phone connections was part of an agreement from June's inter-Korean general-grade military talks, the first such meeting in more than a decade.

In July, the two sides also fully restored their military communication line on the western part of the peninsula.

The eastern military communication line was completely severed due to a wildfire in 2010.

The defense ministry said the move is also part of efforts to enforce the Panmunjom Declaration, adding that it would help contribute to the two Koreas' efforts to dial down tensions and build trust.

In the April 27 inter-Korean summit between the leaders of the Koreas, the two sides agreed to halt all hostile acts against each other, enhance bilateral ties and pursue the complete denuclearization of the peninsula.

The restoration of the communication lines is seen as an initial step in confidence building, which military officials hope will lead to joint efforts for conventional arms control.

Arms control measures are expected to include repositioning artillery units away from the border and disarming the Joint Security Area in the Demilitarized Zone dividing the peninsula.

(Yonhap)