A heavily armed border crossing between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea that allows the DPRK access to $2 billion in trade a year remained open on Thursday despite Pyongyang's move to cut communications.

The DPRK on Wednesday severed the last of three telephone hotlines with the ROK as it readied its troops to face what it believes to be "hostile" action from Seoul and Washington.

The phone line is used to regulate access to the Kaesong industrial park on the DPRK side of the border as well as for military communications with the ROK.

Nearly 200 people from the ROK and 166 vehicles carrying oil and materials drove into the park just inside the DPRK early on Thursday after DPRK authorities used a separate phone line from the park's management office to allow access, ROK officials said.

Reuters

(China Daily 03/29/2013 page11)