S. Korea in close communication with major countries over NK tensions: Foreign Ministry

South Korea is in close communication with the United States, China and other major countries over rising tensions caused by North Korea's demolition of a liaison office and tough rhetoric, the foreign ministry said Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the North blew up the inter-Korean liaison office, a symbol of cross-border reconciliation, in its border city of Kaesong. It further raised tensions with a plan to redeploy troops to the now-suspended joint industrial complex in Kaesong and Mount Kumgang.

"The government is in close coordination with the US, China and other countries to prevent further worsening of the situation and share assessments of the current situation," a ministry official said.

Pyongyang's seeming shift to a provocative stance has raised concerns in both Washington and Beijing.

After the destruction of the liaison office, a spokesperson of the US State Department called on the North to refrain from "further counterproductive actions," while the Chinese foreign ministry urged restraint and reiterated its commitment to peace and stability on the peninsula. (Yonhap)