N. Korea says it will sever hotlines with South: KCNA

North Korea said on Tuesday that it will cut hotlines with South Korea as the first step toward shutting down all contact with Seoul, according to the state news agency KCNA. For several days, North Korea has lashed out at South Korea, threatening to close a liaison office and other projects if the South does not stop defectors from sending leaflets and other material into the North.

On Tuesday morning, North Korean officials did not answer a routine daily call to the liaison office, nor calls on military hotlines, Yonhap news agency reported. The decision to cut communications marks a setback in efforts to try and persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program in exchange for relief on tough international sanctions.