According to the South Korean Unification Ministry, North Korea appears to have "unilaterally" cut off the communication line, as Pyongyang has not responded to regular calls made by Seoul through the inter-Korean communication channel since April 7, including calls on April 10.
The South Korean Defense Ministry also confirmed that all calls through the military hotline were not answered by North Korea for the fourth consecutive day, as of the morning of April 10.
According to the rules, South Korea and North Korea exchange information through the inter-Korean communication channel twice a day at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. While the liaison office phone line operates only on weekdays, the military phone line operates on weekends. However, Pyongyang stopped answering Seoul's calls from the afternoon of April 7, both through the inter-Korean communication channel and the hotline between the two militaries.
Earlier on April 6, North Korea rejected South Korea's request to end its illegal use of South Korean-built facilities inside the now-closed Kaesong Industrial Complex. South Korea warned that it would take necessary measures if North Korea did not respond to this call.
At a regular press briefing, Unification Ministry spokesman Koo Byoung-sam said the South Korean government is closely monitoring the situation and considering how to respond to North Korea's moves. The South Korean side will soon announce its official stance.
According to South Korea, it is still unclear why North Korea has not responded to regular calls from South Korea. However, it is possible that this is North Korea's reaction to joint military exercises between South Korea and the US. North Korea has repeatedly criticized the joint exercises between the two allies, and warned of an "unprecedentedly strong" response.
North Korea has previously not responded to daily calls made by South Korea through inter-Korean communication channels due to technical reasons. In July 2021, North Korea restored the inter-Korean hotline, about a year after cutting it off to protest a leaflet campaign by Seoul activists criticizing Pyongyang. However, since August 2021, North Korea has also not responded to South Korea's calls through the inter-Korean communication channel for two months, in a move believed to be a protest against joint military exercises between the US and South Korea./.
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