South Korea presidential candidate says will restore hotline with North Korea

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, during a meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, on Monday, April 7, 2025. Lee is the top candidate for the next presidential election, with support of 34% respondents in a Gallup poll released April. 4. Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg SEOUL — South Korea's liberal presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung said on Monday he would pursue the restoration of communication between Seoul and North Korea, including via a military hotline if elected. The two Koreas have in the past communicated using hotlines but Pyongyang had stopped responding since 2023 amid a sharp deterioration…