Seoul - North Korea said Monday it will suspend cross-border rail service, effectively closing the land border with the South, and expel South Korean personnel from an industrial complex just inside its border, starting next month.

A statement by the North's military carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, said it would also suspend all tours to its border city of Kaesong near the industrial site as well as halting rail traffic across the border starting December 1 in protest of Seoul's tough policy toward Pyongyang.

North Korea had warned two weeks ago that it would restrict overland passages across the inter-Korean border.

The statement reported by Yonhap news agency said Monday's announcement is the "first step to cope with the prevailing grave situation." (dpa)