tensions. Later, with the “August 25 Agreement,”28) reached through high-level meetings between the two Koreas to de-escalate the tensions, there were some signs of a positive shift in inter-Korean relations. However, the high-level talks concluded without any breakthroughs due to North Korea’s strong insistence on the resumption of the suspended Geumgangsan Mountain tour. On January 6, 2016, when North Korea conducted the fourth nuclear test, the ROK government responded by expressing its resolve to impose tough sanctions on North Korea and by resuming loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts towards the North. North Korea responded in kind by broadcasting propaganda towards the South via loudspeakers and by dropping a long-range missile launch (December 2016) leaflets. As a result, inter-Korean relations were further aggravated. On February 7, even as discussions on North Korean sanctions were underway in the international community, North Korea launched a long-range missile. On February 10, the ROK government announced the complete suspension of operations at the Kaesong Industrial Complex, and the North Korean authorities closed down the complex on the following day, exacerbating the tension. Incensed by the unilateral announcement of North Korean sanctions by the ROK government as well as the Key Resolve (KR) exercise29)/Foal Eagle (FE) training,30) North Korea threatened to attack the Blue House and government organizations of the South through a “critical statement” on February 23 by the Supreme Command of the Korean People’s Army and a “critical report” on March 23 by the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland. Pyongyang escalated tensions by releasing images of a nuclear warhead31) and a KN-08 intercontinental ballistic missile and showed off its various delivery vehicles by test-launching an SLBM and short and medium-range missiles. While continuing its deceptive offensive for dialogue such as proposing inter-Korean military talks during the Seventh Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea, North Korea 28) On august 20, 2015, in the wake of the wooden-box mine provocation in the DMZ of august, 4, North Korea shelled across the border two separate times, to which the rOK military returned fire. the two countries then held a 43-hour marathon talks in a bid to end the standoff and reached a six-point agreement on easing military tensions, resuming separated family reunions, and interKorean dialogue and future talks, whose details were made known through a joint press release on august 25. 29) Key resolve is a rOK-U.S. combined military exercise conducted annually to practice procedures for rapid, safe deployment of US augmentation forces during contingency on the Korean Peninsula. 30) Foal eagle is a combined field training annually conducted by the rOK armed forces and the U.S. Forces, Korea to prepare for a rear infiltration by the enemy. 31) the so-called “nuclear warhead” shown in the photos released by North Korea appears to be a standard implosive fission device. however, limited information is available to determine whether it is a mockup or an actual warhead. 24 Chapter 1 Changes and Challenges in the Security environment