Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
North Koraen Leader Kim Jong Un and sister Kim Yo Jong at the Peace House in Panmunjom, South Korea, in 2018. She warned South Korea could "pay a dear price" for dropping propaganda leaflets in North Korea. Photo: Korea Summit Press Pool/Getty Images
North Korea "destroyed' a joint liaison office building on its side of the border on Tuesday, Seoul’s Unification Ministry said, per AP.
Details: "North Korea blew up the inter-Korean liaison office" in the border town of Kaesong, South Korea’s Unification Ministry said via text message, according to Bloomberg. Smoke could be seen and "an explosion was heard" in town, Yonhap notes.
Driving the news: The South Korean news agency reported there had been "near-daily threats to punish Seoul over anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets." Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, warned in statements this month via the state-run KCNA news agency that South Korea could "pay a dear price" for its actions.
- She stepped up her rhetoric on Saturday night, saying: "Before long, a tragic scene of the useless North-South joint liaison office completely collapsed would be seen."
- North Korean military officials said earlier Tuesday they were studying an "action plan" to enter the demilitarised zone dividing the two Koreas to "turn the front line into a fortress and further heighten military vigilance against the South," according to KCNA.
- The North Korean regime "abandoned its operations at the facility that once allowed the rivals to communicate around the clock" about a week ago, per Bloomberg.
Of note: Kim Yo-jong has continued to rise in prominence since working to protect her brother's image in the North Korean regime's propaganda department in 2014, becoming the first member of the ruling family to visit South Korea during the 2018 Winter Olympics since the Korean War in 1950, according to the BBC.
- She was mentioned as the North Korean dictator's possible successor when he vanished in April as rumors swirled about his health.
Editor's note: This article and headline have been updated with new details throughout, including to clarify the location of this event.