World News | North Korea Scraps Agencies Managing Relations with South as Kim Jong Un Cites Hostility with Rival

Seoul, Jan 16 (AP) North Korea has abolished key government organisations tasked with managing relations with South Korea, state media said on Tuesday, as authoritarian leader Kim Jong Un said he would no longer pursue reconciliation with his rival.

North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said the decision to abolish the agencies handling dialogue and cooperation with the South was made during a meeting of the country's rubber-stamp parliament on Monday.

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During a speech at the assembly, Kim blamed South Korea and the US for raising tensions in the region. He said it has become impossible for the North to pursue reconciliation and a peaceful reunification with the South.

He called for the assembly to rewrite the North's Constitution in its next meeting to define South Korea as the North's "No 1 hostile country".

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Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at their highest point in years after Kim in recent months ramped up his weapons demonstrations. The US and its allies Seoul and Tokyo responded by strengthening their combined military exercises and sharpening their nuclear deterrence strategies. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)