N. Korea vows to close Korea border

PYONGYANG, North Korea, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- North Korea Wednesday threatened to close its overland border with South Korea Dec. 1 after accusing the South of not abiding by inter-Korean agreements.

In a message appearing in the official Korean Central News Agency, the Communist country's military said it will "strictly restrict and cut off all the overland passages" effective Dec. 1, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.

The threatened action will affect the two countries' Military Demarcation Line.

The North Korean military said it has decided to take the "actual crucial measure" to control the overland passages as the first punitive step against the South.

North Korea has been conducting a relentless campaign against South Korea's new conservative president, Lee Myung-bak, accusing him and his pro-U.S. administration of not abiding by the terms of two summit agreements, the last of which was reached last year by Lee's predecessor to continue the North-South dialogue.

The 1950-53 Korean War ended in only a truce, leaving the two sides still technically in a state of war. Relations between the two sides have deteriorated lately after showing improvement in previous years.

In a commentary Tuesday, the Communist party's main organ, Rodong Sinmun, said: "The deterioration of the inter-Korean relations is entirely attributable to traitor Lee Myung Bak and his treacherous 'policy toward the north.'"