N.Korea resumes radio broadcast of encrypted numbers

North Korea resumed its radio broadcast of encrypted numbers, which is believed to be coded orders to its spies outside of the country, South Korean officials said.

"From now on, we announce tasks of mechanical engineering review for the Unit 21 expedition members of the remote education university," North Korea's state-run Pyongyang Radio announced on Sunday.

"Number 69 on page 602, number 79 on page 133, number 18 on page 216," the broadcast said.

A total of 70 sets of such five-digit numbers were read out twice, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Pyongyang Radio last aired a similar broadcast on March 24.

It was the 31st such broadcast since North Korea resumed the Cold-War era spycraft on June 24, 2016, amid escalating inter-Korean tensions.

It had suspended such coded broadcasts in 2000.

--IANS

ksk/vt