North Korea vows to permanently block border with southern neighbours

Barricades are placed near the Unification Bridge, which leads to the Panmunjom in the Demilitarised Zone in Paju, South Korea (Lee Jin-man/AP)

North Korea’s military said it will permanently block its border with South Korea and boost its front-line defence posture to cope with “confrontational hysteria” by South Korean and US forces.

Wednesday’s announcement did not include an expected constitutional revision to formally designate South Korea its principal enemy and codify new national borders.