South Korean visitors take a picture at the Dorasan railway station near the border with North Korea, 30 January 2009.

Communist North Korea has said it is scrapping all military and political agreements signed with the South, accusing Seoul of hostile intent.

South Korea's government had pushed relations "to the brink of a war", the North's cross-border relations body said on state media. South Korea expressed regret at the announcement and called for dialogue.

Photo by Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images