North Korea Cuts Ties with South over Ship Sinking Blame

This undated handout picture shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-il (front) inspecting a vessel in 2008. Photo by EPA/BGNES

North Korea is to cut all relations with South Korea, Pyongyang's official news agency reports.

KCNA said the North was also expelling all South Korean workers from a jointly-run factory north of the border.

The move comes after an international report blamed North Korea for sinking a South Korean warship, the BBC reported.

Pyongyang denies it torpedoed the Cheonan near the inter-Korean maritime border on 26 March, killing 46 sailors.

Seoul announced on Sunday it was ending trade relations with the North in response to the sinking.

Tuesday's KCNA reports announcing the severing of all ties - including communications - said the North was also banning South Korean ships and planes from its waters and airspace.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said Washington and Beijing must work together to "fashion an effective response" to the sinking of the Cheonan.

Speaking in Beijing, Mrs Clinton said maintaining peace on the Korean peninsula was "a shared responsibility" between the countries.

China has called for all sides to show restraint.

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