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N Korea’s military to re-enter inter-Korea cooperation sites N Korea’s military to re-enter inter-Korea cooperation sites
(32 minutes later)
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea says it will redeploy troops to now-shuttered inter-Korean tourism and economic sites near the border with South Korea. SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said Wednesday it will redeploy troops to now-shuttered inter-Korean tourism and economic sites near the border with South Korea and and take other steps to nullify landmark 2018 tension-reduction deals.
The North’s military made the announcement Wednesday, a day after it blew up an inter-Korean liaison office just north of the Korean border in an escalating of tensions between the rivals. The North’s military steps came a day after it blew up an inter-Korean liaison office just north of the Korean border in an escalation of tensions between the rivals.
The North’s General Staff says its military units will be deployed at the sites of the Diamond tourism project and the Kaesong industrial complex, both located just north of the heavily-fortified border. Those sites, once symbols of inter-Korean cooperation, have been shuttered amid animosities over North Korea’s nuclear program for years. The North’s General Staff said its military units will be deployed at the sites of the Diamond tourism project and the Kaesong industrial complex, both located just north of the heavily-fortified border. Those sites, once symbols of inter-Korean cooperation, have been shuttered amid animosities over North Korea’s nuclear program for years.
The North says it will also resume military exercises and re-establish guard posts in front-line areas and fly propaganda balloons toward South Korea. These steps means that North Korea will nullify a 2018 tension-reduction deal with South Korea. The North said it will also resume military exercises and re-establish guard posts in front-line areas and fly propaganda balloons toward South Korea. These steps means that North Korea will nullify a 2018 deal with South Korea aimed at lowering military tensions at border areas.
Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, issued a separate statement saying North Korea had rebuffed a recent offer by South Korean President Moon Jae-in to send special envoys to Pyongyang to defuse animosities.
She said Moon had offered to dispatch his National Security Director Chung Eui-yong and spy chief Suh Hun at the earliest possible date that North Korea would want. Kim Yo Jong, has spearheaded the North’s recent fiery rhetoric against South Korea, called Moon’s offer “unrealistic” and “nonsensical” and said South Korea must pay the price for its failure to stop activists from sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets toward North Korea.
On Tuesday, the North destroyed with explosives the liaison office building the border town of Kaesong, the first such inter-Korean office which the two Koreas opened in 2018 when their ties flourished.
Although the building was empty and the North had previously signaled its plans to destroy it, the move is still the most provocative act by North Korea since it entered nuclear talks in 2018 after a U.S.-North Korean standoff had many fearing war. It was a serious setback to the efforts of Moon to engage the North.
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said the country destroyed the office in a “terrific explosion.”
South Korea issued a statement expressing “strong regret” over the destruction of the building, warning of a stern response if North Korea takes additional steps that aggravate tensions.
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.