The campus is set to become the largest dedicated hub for AI and technology companies in the Middle East and North Africa
uae10 hours ago
North Korea blew up and destroyed an inter-Korean liaison office in its border city of Kaesong on Tuesday, South Korea said, after Pyongyang threatened to take action if defector groups push ahead with their campaign to send propaganda leaflets into North Korea.
South Korean media reported that an explosion was heard and smoke could be seen over Kaesong, and the South's Unification Ministry said the liaison office had been destroyed.
A South Korean military source said that there were signs of the impending demolition earlier in the day, and South Korean military officials watched live surveillance imagery of the building as it was blown up.
Tensions have risen as Pyongyang threatened to sever inter-Korean ties and take retaliatory measures over the leaflets, which carry messages critical of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, including human rights abuses.
On Saturday, North Korean state media reported that Kim Yo Jong, the sister of Kim who serves as a senior official of the ruling Workers' Party, had ordered the department in charge of inter-Korean affairs to "decisively carry out the next action" and that "before long, a tragic scene of the useless north-south joint liaison office completely collapsed would be seen".
The inter-Korean liaison office was established in 2018 as part of a series of projects aimed at reducing tensions between the two Koreas.
When it was operating, dozens of officials from both sides would work in the building, with South Koreans travelling each week into the North.
The office has been closed since January over coronavirus fears.
Earlier on Tuesday, North Korean state media quoted the military as saying it has been studying an "action plan" to re-enter zones that had been demilitarised under a 2018 inter-Korean pact and "turn the front line into a fortress".
"Our army will rapidly and thoroughly implement any decisions and orders of the party and government," the Korean People's Army said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.
Seoul's defence ministry called for Pyongyang to abide by the 2018 agreement, in which both sides' militaries vowed to cease "all hostile acts" and dismantled a number of structures along the heavily fortified Demilitarised Zone between the two countries.
"We're taking the situation seriously," ministry spokeswoman Choi Hyun-soo told a briefing. "Our military is maintaining readiness posture to be able to respond to any situation."
Several defector-led groups have regularly sent back flyers, together with food, $1 bills, mini radios and USB sticks containing South Korean dramas and news, usually by balloon over the border or in bottles by river.
South Korea plans legal action against two of the defector groups, saying their actions fuel cross-border tensions, pose risks to residents living near the border and cause environmental damage.
But the groups say they intend to push ahead with their planned campaign this week.
South Korea's President Moon Jae-in urged Pyongyang on Monday to keep peace agreements reached by the two leaders and return to dialogue.
The campus is set to become the largest dedicated hub for AI and technology companies in the Middle East and North Africa
uae10 hours ago
Dravid's tenure comes to an end after the T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and West Indies
sports10 hours ago
Stand-in skipper Jitesh believes the absence of key England players will not affect his side's morale on Sunday
sports11 hours ago
Netanyahu came under personal attack from Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for failing to rule out an Israeli government in Gaza after the war
world11 hours ago
The fund is designed to finance the production of artistic and creative works in film, music, performances, and video games
uae11 hours ago
Fico has been in hospital since Wednesday when a lone gunman shot him four times, including in the abdomen
world12 hours ago
The country was one of the donor states to freeze around $450 million in funds after Israel accused 12 UNRWA staff of participating in the Hamas-led attack
world12 hours ago
This inclusive community service is available daily on Al Hamriya Beach from 6.00am to sunset
uae13 hours ago