The Korean Peninsula is on edge as North Korea has failed to respond to inter-Korean phone calls for three consecutive days. The South Korean Defense Ministry has tried reaching out to the North via a dedicated military hotline twice a day but to no avail. Tensions have been rising in the region following North Korea’s recent weapons tests, which were seen as a response to joint military exercises between South Korea and the US.
According to North Korean state media, the country conducted an underwater detonation test of its ‘Haeil-2′ nuclear-capable attack drone last week, further heightening concerns. The drone reportedly operated for over 71 hours before its test warhead was detonated underwater.
The lack of response from North Korea could indicate that further military exercises are in the offing. Similar incidents have occurred in the past, with North Korea failing to respond to South Korea’s request for military talks in August 2017, a few days before launching a ballistic missile over Japan.
The inter-Korean hotline was restored in July 2021 after North Korea had ignored it for a year in protest against Seoul activists’ leaflet campaigns. However, disruptions in daily phone calls have not always led to elevated tensions. In June 2022, North Korea did not respond to a regular hotline call, apparently due to technical glitches caused by heavy rains.
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