N. Korea renews threats against Seoul

SEOUL North Korea said it would shut telephone hotlines with South Korea on Tuesday and ultimately sever all communications with its neighbour, hardening its policy as it attempts to gain concessions from Seoul.

The escalation came five days after Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, took charge of relations with South Korea and threatened to shut a joint liaison office and factory park in the border town of Kaesong.

Kim Yo Jong had demanded that Seoul prevent activists from sending leaflets across the border intended to promote democracy and undermine the regime. In an attempt to salvage ties with the North, the South Korean government pledged to seek a legislative ban on the leaflets, angering human rights activists who questioned Seoul’s commitment to freedom of expression.

Pyongyang’s latest escalation may represent an attempt by Kim Yo Jong to assert her authority in a new, prominent position within the regime.