North Korea blows up liaison office with South Korea, as signs of hostility grow

North Korea on Tuesday reportedly blew up an office used to communicate with South Korea near the countries’ border, in what was reportedly a public and symbolic display of North Korea’s growing hostility toward its neighbor. 

The North said last week that it was cutting off all government and military communication channels with the South while threatening to abandon bilateral peace agreements reached during North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s three summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in 2018, according to the Associated Press.

South Korea issued a statement on the incident, following an emergency National Security Council meeting, that said the demolition is “an act that betrays hopes for an improvement in South-North Korean relations and the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula.” 

South Korea’s Defense Ministry separately said it closely monitors North Korean military activities and was prepared to strongly counter any future provocation, according to the wire service.