North Korea Warns Region at ‘Brink of War’

Some of the houses which were burned to ashes by North Korea's attack on South Korea 23 November 2010, resulting in the resignation of Minister Kim Tae-young. Photo by EPA/BGNES

North Korea state media said Friday that South Korea and the United States are recklessly pushing the Korean peninsula “closer to the brink of war” by scheduling a joint military drill for this weekend, CNN informed.

A group of naval ships, led by a nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier, is heading to the Yellow Sea to take part in the drill, due to begin on Sunday, the BBC reported.

“The situation on the Korean peninsula is inching closer to the brink of war due to the reckless plan of those trigger-happy elements to stage again the war exercises targeted against [North Korea] in wake of the grave military provocation they perpetrated against the territorial waters of [the North Korean] side in the West Sea,” the North Korea’s KCNA news agency said.

The West Sea was the scene of Tuesday’s shelling of the South Korean Yeonpyeong Island by North Korea. Four South Koreans died and 15 others were injured in the attack.

North Korea has announced that South Korea provoked the attack because shells from its military drill landed in the North’s waters.

“The army and people of [North Korea] are now greatly enraged at the provocation of the puppet group, while getting fully ready to give a shower of dreadful fire and blow up the bulwark of the enemies if they dare to encroach again upon [North Korea’s] dignity and sovereignty even in the least,” KCNA said, as cited by CNN.

In response to Tuesday’s attack, South Korea has already increased troop numbers on Yeonpyeong Island, and has said it is changing its rules if engagement to allow it to respond more forcefully to similar incidents, according to the BBC.

On Thursday, South Korea’s Defense Minister Kim Tae-young resigned as a result of the criticism of the country’s response to the artillery bombardment.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak accepted the resignation of “to improve the atmosphere in the military and to handle the series of incidents,” as a presidential official said.

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