South Korea’s defence ministry urged North Korea to hold urgent military talks to ease frontier tension and prevent accidental military clashes, shortly after Pyongyang severed the cross-border military hotline and declared it will no longer seek dialogue or unification with its foe, TRT World reported.

Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said propaganda loudspeakers aimed at the South will be ready to restart within days along the entire border, according to the Guardian. TRT World reported that she also said “our new counter means will get into the alert for duty at all the southern border line” and that the loudspeakers “will be on standby in a matter of days”.