Amid tensions with North, South Korea conducts military excercise

After North Korea destroyed a joint liaison office symbolic of peace in the peninsula, South Korean authorities were quick to issue a statement.

The South Korean representatives said that that they will respond “sternly” if the neighbouring country, under the leadership of Kim Jong-un continues to issue threats and pursue excesses. Following these statements, South Korea conducted a military excercise. 

North Korea blew up the liaison office with South Korea as a massive explosion was heard and smoke was seen billowing from the North Korean border city of Kaesong on Tuesday.

Kim Jong-Un's sister had recently said that the North-South liaison office would soon be seen "completely collapsed".

A South Korean Army's K-55 self-propelled howitzer fires at a military training field in the border city of Paju.

Kim You-geun, the deputy national security adviser of South Korea claimed that the destruction "broke the expectations of all people who hope for the development of inter-Korean relations and lasting peace on the peninsula”.

Kim You-geun, the deputy national security adviser of South Korea also said: "We're making clear that the North is entirely responsible for all the consequences this might cause."

Over the last two weeks, North Korea has continuously accused its southern neighbour of helping smuggle anti-Kim material like literature and pamphlets into the country to stir trouble for the leader and to trigger defection of people from the country.

South Korea recently announced plans to monitor this claim, and to strictly disallow transportation of any such material across the border, and to penalise people involved in the circulation of such literature.

International response to the bombing was swift. Russian authorities responded to the bombing of the liaison office by saying that they were “concerned”, while adding to call for “restraint” between the two countries.