SEOUL: North Korea has blocked most of its international telephone lines in order to restrict the exchange of information with the outside world, according to South Korean government sources. Earlier this week a South Korean newspaper said the isolated Stalinist regime had shut down 90 percent of its outside phone lines since April and confiscated some 20,000 mobile telephones since May last year. The source confirmed to reporters that "most of the country's international telephone service appears to be controlled" and that "there appear to be restrictions on the use of mobile phones in North Korea from mid-2004". The use of cellphones, which were only introduced to North Korea in 2002, and of the Internet had been seriously restricted by a regime that worries about losing its hold on information and fears a possible US attack. The JoongAng daily reported on Tuesday that North Korea had restricted domestic communications and blocked 90 percent of its 970 international lines since April under a direct order from its leader Kim Jong-Il.