North Korea blows up joint liaison office with South amid rising tensions

Amid rising tension, South Korea’s Unification Ministry has reportedly confirmed that North Korea has blown up a joint liaison office in the border town of Kaesong. According to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, an explosion was heard near the inter-Korean industrial complex in the border town of North Korea. 

The report of the explosion comes days after North had threatened to permanently shut liaison office with South saying Seoul failed to stop activists from floating 'anti-Pyongyang' leaflets. The inter-Korean relations took a major hit after defector started floating the leaflets using hot air balloons or bottles to criticise Kim Jong-un’s regime over human rights violations and nuclear ambitions.

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Moon Jae-in urged to maintain peace

On June 15, South Korean President Moon Jae-in urged North Korea to not reverse the progress made on peace front and return to talks amid rising tension in inter-Korean relations. In a meeting with senior aides, Moon said that the promises of peace on the Korean peninsula by Chairman Kim Jong Un before 80 million people cannot be turned back.

“North Korea should not cut communications, raise tension and try to go back to the past era of confrontation,” said the President.

Following the row over anti-Pyongyang leaflets, South Korea had announced to press charges against the activist groups that have been throwing the leaflets near the de-militarised zone. South Korea’s Unification Ministry said in a statement the groups violated the agreement between the leaders of the North and the South and created tension.

Read: North Korea Says US Remarks On Inter-Korean Affairs Could Impact Presidential Polls

(With agency inputs)