Major North Korean state media outlets have yet to tell the country’s people about the reestablishment of inter-Korean hotlines this week, a stark contrast to the South Korean government’s jubilation.

Experts said the omission indicates Pyongyang’s wariness about public perception during the COVID-19 lockdown and difficult economic situation, as it warms to dialogue more than a year after turning its back on the South in June 2020 due to complaints about anti-DPRK leaflets.