MOSCOW, June 12 (RIA Novosti) – North Korean leadership did not return repeated calls from their counterparts in South Korea made over the last extant communication line between the two countries, Yonhap news agency said Wednesday.
Official Pyongyang ignored two calls by a South Korean liaison officer on Tuesday, the Ministry of Unification in Seoul said, the South Korean agency reported.
This could imply that North Korea disconnected the telephone line and fax running through the truce village of Panmunjom, a ministry official said on condition of anonymity.
The line in Panmunjom was the last direct communication link between the two Koreas. Three other military hotlines were disconnected by North Korea earlier this year.
The two countries were set to hold two-day talks starting Wednesday, but the plan was called off after Pyongyang complained that Seoul fielded negotiators of insufficient rank.
Tensions mounted on the Korean peninsula earlier this year after North Korea conducted new nuclear and missile tests. Official Pyongyang threatened Seoul and the United States with war and closed off the joint industrial zone in Kaesong following a new round of international sanctions, but later voiced willingness to negotiate.
