By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter

North Korea's military threatened Wednesday to shut its border with the South from next month.

It said the measure was caused by Seoul's ``confrontation activities'' despite repeated warnings, but propaganda leaflets sent by civic groups here are considered to be the real reason behind the threat.

The North also announced on Wednesday evening that it was shutting down its Red Cross liaison office and all direct telephone links at the truce village of Panmunjeom.

South Korea's Ministry of Unification expressed regret over the announcement, urging the Stalinist state to respond to its calls for dialogue.

The threat came as South Korean civic groups have kept sending hot air balloons with more than 100,000 fliers attached to them containing criticism of the North's dictatorship.

North Korea cut off all communication channels and kicked South Korean officials out of its territory in March after President Lee Myung-bak vowed a tougher policy toward the reclusive state in February.

The North has refused to resume the inter-Korean dialogue, calling for unconditional implementation of the two agreements former Presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun signed with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in 2000 and 2007, respectively.

``We said that our military will take action to strictly restrict or shut all overland passages across the military demarcation line starting Dec. 1,'' said Lieutenant Gen. Kim Yong-cho in a telephone message carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency.

``The racket of confrontation with the DPRK kicked up by the South Korean puppet authorities is going beyond the danger level despite repeated warnings,'' Kim, the North's top delegate to the inter-Korean generals' talks, was quoted as saying. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the official name of the North.

The South Korean government must not forget that current North-South relations are on the verge of all-out severance, he added.

The closure is expected to affect road and rail routes between Seoul and the North Korean city of Gaeseong, where an inter-Korean industrial complex is operating and there are daily tours to the city.

Unification Ministry spokesman Kim Ho-nyoun said, ``If the North implements the measure, negative effects will be effect the efforts that the South and North have made to improve relations,'' he said.

Kim reiterated that Seoul is willing to discuss implementation of June 15 and Oct. 4 inter-Korean declarations and renewed calls for dialogue between the two sides.

However, he did not present specific government plans to prevent further possible action taken by Pyongyang for chillier relations.

The North indicated that it may take stronger measures as it said in the message it will ``initially'' restrict or shut the land passage next month.

North Korea has expressed discomfort toward the propaganda leaflets and called for the activity to be halted during working-level military talks on Oct. 2 and 27.

Civic groups, mainly organized by North Korean defectors, have sent the fliers from the West Sea and have even added rumors on illness the North Korean leader's health.

ksy@koreatimes.co.kr