North Korea destroys joint liaison office

North Korea blew up its joint liaison office with South Korea in the border town of Kaesong on Tuesday, intensifying tense relations on the Korean Peninsula. The two nations opened the office in 2018 to aid the growing inter-Korean relations.

Why the escalation? North Korea had warned of tougher action against South Korea in recent weeks if it failed to stop activists and defectors from sending in anti-government leaflets across the border. Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, threatened to demolish the office in a “tragic scene” in a statement over the weekend. Earlier in the day, the North Korean military said it likely will resume positions in the demilitarized zones based upon the inter-Korean peace agreements.

Dig deeper: Read Angela Lu Fulton’s report on South Korea’s uneasy relationship with activists sending the leaflets