South Korean president accepts resignation of unification minister

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has accepted and approved the resignation of Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, a spokesperson from Cheong Wa Dae said at a press conference on Friday.

Kim tendered his resignation on Wednesday over worsened inter-Korean relations.

It is not clear who will succeed Kim. Vice Unification Minister Suh Ho is expected to serve as acting minister, for the time being, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Inter-Korean tensions have been escalating in recent weeks after Pyongyang slammed Seoul for failing to stop "defectors from the North" from sending propaganda leaflets to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The DPRK blew up the inter-Korean liaison office in the border city of Kaesong on Tuesday, followed by an announcement that it will redeploy soldiers to the previously demilitarized areas near its border with the Republic of Korea (ROK). Seoul warned that its northern neighbor would "pay the price" if the military plan comes into action.

Relations between Pyongyang and Seoul warmed up in 2018 with three summits between DPRK leader Kim Jong Un and President Moon. The two sides signed the Panmunjom Declaration, which called for complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and improving inter-Korean ties. However, inter-Korean cooperation has stalled since the second summit between the DPRK leader and U.S. President Donald Trump in Vietnam's Hanoi last year collapsed over differences on denuclearization and sanction relief.

(CGTN)