South Korea’s phone calls to the North go unanswered
South Korean officials say Pyongyang has failed to respond to phone calls, just weeks after the two countries restored hotlines.
This comes one day after a high-ranking North Korean official said Seoul should pay a price for holding joint military exercises with the United States.
Kim Yo-jong, who is also the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, also warmed the North would strengthen its pre-emptive strike capabilities.
On Tuesday, South Korea and the U.S. began preliminary training for their annual war games, and larger, computer-simulated exercises will begin next week.
The drills have increased tensions just weeks after the hotlines were restored.
The lines were restored last month after South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un pledged to restore ties.
North Korea views the war games as a rehearsal for an invasion of its land. Pyongyang says its nuclear weapons program is needed for defensive purposes.
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