N. Korea warned against border closing

SEOUL, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- South Korea Thursday warned North Korea against carrying out its threat to close the inter-Korean land border.

"North Korea may have its own strategic considerations. But it must have misunderstood the situation if the border and communication line closures are intended to isolate South Korea in its diplomacy with the (United States)," a top-official at the South Korean presidential office said, Yonhap news agency reported.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Yonhap, "South Korea and the United States will continue to closely cooperate even after U.S. President-elect Barack Obama takes office."

On Wednesday, the North Korean military threatened to close the overland border as of Dec. 1, saying the South had broken inter-Korean agreements.

Yonhap also reported the Communist country said it was closing its Red Cross liaison office and all direct telephone links at the truce village of Panmunjom because of Seoul's "confrontational" policy.

The South Korean official expressed regret over the North's provocation and said, "The door for dialogue is always open. A possible North Korean strategy to bypass South Korea in its U.S. diplomacy is an outdated and mistaken notion," Yonhap reported.

Relations between the two Koreas have deteriorated lately after showing improvement in previous years.