In June 2020, North Korea pulled out of ongoing dialogues, citing displeasure at propaganda leaflet activists were sending across the border. This July, North Korea briefly restored the communication lines — only to cut them again two weeks later.
“South Korean authority must deeply appreciate the meaning of resumption of North-South communication lines and repair the North-South relations and make active efforts to resolve important issues that are pre-requisites to opening a bright path forward,” North Korean state media reported.
The isolated country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, had vowed last week to restore the communication lines at an address to the country’s rubberstamp legislature.
“North Korea has no reasons to provoke or hurt the South,” Kim said.