North Korea has issued a rare statement to citizens on both sides of the border

We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

Sign up fornow and never miss the top politics stories again.

North Korea sent a message addressed to "all Koreans at home and abroad" this evening.

It said they should make a "breakthrough" for unification without the help of other countries, its state media said.

They said: “Let us make a breakthrough for independent reunification.”

The announcement was issued by state-run media after a joint meeting of government and political parties.