The Ministry of Unification said it will closely monitor North Korea's moves over making rash judgments following reports that the regime had conducted an artillery drill on Sunday.

Ministry spokesperson Lee Jong-joo said Monday that the North has held military drills in various formats and that leader Kim Jong-un has attended those events in many cases. However, there have been no reports of his presence at drills held this year.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) said Sunday that mechanized troops held an "artillery fire competition" the previous day under the guidance of Pak Jong-chon, a top military official and member of the ruling party politburo.

It's considered rare for the regime to disclose an ordinary drill not attended by Kim Jong-un.

Regarding inter-Korean phone calls held through the liaison office, the spokesperson said that since communication was restored on October 4, the two Koreas have held calls at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. every day.