North Korea says it blew up its de-facto embassy with the South so "human scum" defectors and Seoul "pay dearly for their crimes".
In a dramatic escalation of tensions, Pyongyang destroyed the inter-Korea liaison office after threatening to retaliate if North Korean defectors in the South went ahead with a campaign to send propaganda leaflets into the North.
North Korea's KCNA state news said the four-storey building, which had been closed since January over fears of the novel coronavirus, was "tragically ruined with a terrific explosion".
Tuesday's action has stoked fears that military clashes could break out along the heavily fortified and guarded Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) that divides the neighbours after the North said its troops were