SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea said Wednesday that it would send troops to inter-Korean cooperation locations that are now closed to its territory and re-establish guard posts and continue military exercises in frontline areas, canceling the tension reduction agreement reached with Korea South only. two years ago.

The announcement was the latest in a series of provocations carried out by North Korea over what experts believe are steps to put pressure on Seoul and Washington amid stalled nuclear negotiations. On Tuesday, North Korea destroyed an empty inter-Korean liaison office in its territory.

Although North Korea’s recent actions have not led to clashes or bloodshed, it has still increased hostility on the peninsula to a level not seen since Pyongyang entered nuclear talks in 2018.

North Korea’s General Staff said military units would be deployed to the Diamond Mountain resort and Kaesong industrial complex, both north of the heavily fortified border. Both sites, built with South Korean financing, have been closed for years due to inter-Korean disputes and US-led sanctions.

North Korea also said it would resume military exercises, rebuild guard posts and increase military readiness in the border area and open frontline sites to fly propaganda balloons to South Korea. The steps will reverse the agreement reached between Korea in September 2018 aimed at reducing military tension along the border.

The South Korean military expressed regret at North Korea’s announcement and warned that North Korea would face unspecified consequences if it violated the 2018 agreement.

Major General Jeon Dong Jin at the Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters that South Korea was maintaining military readiness and would try to prevent increased military tension. Unification Deputy Minister Suh Ho warned against destroying South Korean assets that remain in the two cooperation locations.

Under the 2018 agreement, the two Koreas halted direct firing exercises, removed several landmines and destroyed guard posts along the world’s most armed borders.

Some experts believe the move undermines South Korea’s security more than North Korea because Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons remain intact.

North Korea will likely dismantle structures, equipment and other assets built by South Korea at two cooperation locations before conducting military exercises and firing missiles and bullets into the sea, said Cheong Seong-Chang, an analyst at Sejong Institute, a think tank. in South Korea.

Cheong said the current setback in relations was “unavoidable” and South Korea might respond with the resumption of propaganda loudspeakers and joint military exercises with the United States.

Some analysts see North Korea’s provocation as an attempt to get concessions from Washington and Seoul at a time when the economy, which has been hit by sanctions, is likely to worsen because of the coronavirus pandemic. They said North Korea might be frustrated because sanctions prevented Seoul from breaking away from Washington to continue joint economic projects with Pyongyang.

The official North Korea News Agency said on Wednesday that recent action was taken to avenge South Korea’s failure to prevent activists from floating propaganda leaflets across the border.

It said the demolition of buildings on Tuesday was “a reflection of the enthusiasm of our angry people to punish trash people who challenge the dignity and dignity of our country’s most noble and those who protect the scum, the criminals who shudder.” It said North Korea would adjust the intensity and time for additional measures while closely monitoring South Korea’s steps.

Kim Yo Jong, the strong sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, separately revealed that North Korea had rejected a recent offer by South Korean President Moon Jae-in to send a special envoy to Pyongyang to ease tensions.

Kim Yo Jong, who has spearheaded North Korea’s rhetoric recently against South Korea, called Moon a “little joke” and “tricks” to overcome the crisis. He also criticized Moon’s urging from North Korea recently to return to negotiations and find a breakthrough with South Korea.

In response, one of Moon’s senior presidential advisers, Yoon Do-han, called Kim Yo Jong’s statement “very rude,” “irrational” and “unreasonable.” Yoon warned South Korea that it would not tolerate a similar statement by North Korea for longer while expressing regret over North Korea publicizing South Korea’s offer to send a messenger.

Verbal rescue exchanges between Korea are very unusual under Moon’s government, which has supported the restoration of greater relations with North Korea since taking office in 2017. Moon has faced criticism that he was too soft on North Korea even when it was openly carrying out weapons tests target the South. Korea.

Moon, who met Kim Jong Un three times in 2018, was the driving force behind diplomacy between Pyongyang and Washington, including the first summit between Kim and President Donald Trump in Singapore in June 2018.

Relations between Korea have been strained since the second Kim-Trump Summit in early 2019 fell apart due to a dispute over sanctions.