Pyongyang calling: What we know about the hotlines to North Korea

South Korean Lieutenant Choi Don-rim (left) communicates with a North Korean officer during a phone call at a military office near the demilitarised zone separating the North and South Korea in Paju, August 2005. — Reuters

SEOUL: North Korea has said it is cutting communication hotlines with South Korea, a tactic the isolated country has used repeatedly during periods of rising tension.

At least 49 hotlines have been established between the two Koreas to arrange diplomatic talks, deconflict military operations, coordinate air and sea traffic, hold humanitarian discussions, and cooperate on economic issues.