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North Korea says will treat U.S. detainees under 'wartime law'

11 July 2016 19:14 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. North Korea said on Monday it has told the United States it will sever the only channel of communication between them, at the United Nations in New York, after Washington blacklisted leader Kim Jong Un last week for human rights abuses, APA reports quoting Reuters.

All matters related to the United States, including the handling of U.S. citizens detained by Pyongyang, will be conducted under its "wartime law," the North's official KCNA news agency said.

The move was the latest escalation of tension with the isolated country, which earlier on Monday threatened a "physical response" after the United States and South Korea said they would deploy the THAAD missile defense system in South Korea.

"As the United States will not accept our demand for the immediate withdrawal of the sanctions measure, we will be taking corresponding actions in steps," KCNA said.

"As the first step, we have notified that the New York contact channel that has been the only existing channel of contact will be completely severed," it said.

"The Republic will handle all matters arising between us and the United States from now on under our wartime laws, and the matters of Americans detained are no exception to this."

North Korea has previously indicated that wartime laws would mean detainees will not be released on humanitarian grounds.