North Korea said Monday it has decided to close its only direct diplomatic link with Washington, CNN reports.

The move was made days after the United States slapped sanctions on the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, and other officials over human rights abuses.

Pyongyang and Washington do not have formal diplomatic relations, but North Korea's mission to the United Nations in New York has acted as the main communication conduit between the two countries.

Now it will deal with Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – U.S. relations “under the wartime law of the DPRK," according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea's state-run news agency.

"The DPRK government sent the U.S. government a message on July 10 through the DPRK permanent mission to the UN in connection with the fact that the U.S. recently impaired the dignity of the supreme leadership of the DPRK by releasing what they call 'report on human rights,' and 'lists of targets of special sanctions' related to the DPRK." – KCNA

The U.S. sanctions announced last week marked the first time Washington sanctioned Kim personally. Administration officials said Kim was "ultimately responsible" for what they called "North Korea's notorious abuses of human rights."

Pyongyang is already subject to heavy U.S. sanctions for its past nuclear and missile activity. But Wednesday's action marked the first time regime officials had been sanctioned for human rights abuses

North Korea said it would take "practical actions" against the United States since it "refused to comply" with a demand that the sanctions measure be withdrawn, the KCNA reported Monday. The first phase of "stage by stage" actions would be cutting off the New York contact channel, the report said.

WN.com, Jim Berrie