North Korea halts radio broadcasts, curbs exchanges with South: report

North Korea has stopped operating a radio station used to send coded messages to its agents in South Korea, the Yonhap news agency said, the latest sign Pyongyang is shaking up the way it handles relations with Seoul.

Radio Pyongyang, known as a numbers station, in the past broadcast mysterious coded numbers presumed to be targeted at Pyongyang's spies operating in South Korea. Its website was also down on Saturday.

North Korea has been stepping up pressure on Seoul in recent weeks, declaring it the "principal enemy," saying the North will never reunite with the South and vowing to enhance its ability to deliver a nuclear strike on the US and America's allies in the Pacific.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, addressing a year-end meeting of his ruling party, ordered a "decisive policy change" in relations with the South, instructing the military to be prepared to pacify and occupy the South in the event of a crisis.

Early on Saturday, North Korea announced plans to dissolve organisations in charge of civilian exchanges with South Korea.

Several N Korean sites down

State media KCNA reported a decision "to readjust all relevant organisations... including the North Side Committee for Implementing June 15 Joint Declaration, the North Headquarters of the Pan-national Alliance for Korea's Reunification."

North and South Korea remain technically at war after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty and tensions are running high.

Seoul-based news outlet NK News said on Friday that several North Korean propaganda sites were inaccessible more than 24 hours after they went offline.

The websites of Uriminzokkiri, DPRK Today, Arirang Meari, Tongil Voice, Ryomyong and Ryugyong have been down since at least Thursday morning, it said.