South Korea urged its journalists Tuesday to exercise special caution when reporting near the Chinese border with North Korea amid heightened tensions following the North's nuclear and missile tests, a diplomatic source said.

The government sent a letter to local news organizations, urging reporters in the area to pay special attention to their safety and follow Chinese laws, the source said on condition of anonymity.

The warning comes after South Korea received intelligence of a possible North Korean terrorist attack or abduction of South Korean journalists and missionaries there, the source said.

"Due to the recent U.N. Security Council sanctions on North Korea, concerns over North Korea's provocations and tensions in Northeast Asia are rising, raising the possibility that our journalists reporting from the North Korean-Chinese border area could be exposed to various dangers," the letter said. It added that some may come under legal sanctions for violating Chinese laws on news reporting.

The government urged reporters to acquire a media visa before traveling to the area and to refrain from any suspicious activity in no photo zones and other restricted areas.

Tensions remain high as North Korea has threatened further nuclear and missile tests in anger over the U.N. sanctions and ongoing military exercises between South Korea and the U.S. The sanctions were adopted early this month to punish the regime in Pyongyang for its fourth nuclear test in January and long-range rocket launch in February. (Yonhap)