hankyoreh

By Son Won-je, Staff Writer　
　
On the eve of the resumption of South Korea-U.S. Key Resolve drills, North Korea said Sunday through its representatives in Panmunjom that the drills were aimed at collapsing the North Korean regime, and that it would respond with a full-scale war. In a separate communication sent in the name of North Korea’s chief delegate for inter-Korean military talks, Pyongyang said, “If the South Korean military leadership continues to engage in psychological warfare, North Korea will in self-defense fire directly on the source of the psychological warfare operations in places such as Imjingak.”
North Korea’s series of strong military threats is believed to reflect a sense of regime crisis resulting from the recent domino effect of regime collapse in the Middle East.
In the statement by North Korea’s delegation in Panmunjom, North Korea said it would convey the position in principle of the North Korean military and people, and proceeded to say in response to the South Korea-US exercises, “They are a full-out assault by South Korea to collapse the North Korean regime, and North Korea will respond with a merciless full-scale war, including turning Seoul into a sea of fire.” North Korea also said it would respond to the invaders’ nuclear threats with its nuclear deterrent, and to missile threats with missile strikes.
In the statement by the head of North Korea’s delegation into inter-Korean military talks, North Korea said, “The South Korean military leadership’s psychological warfare operations, conducted recently all along the Military Demarcation Line, were an anti-Korean traitorous act.”
North Korea’s KCNA, which reported the sending of the message, pointed specifically to the launching of leaflets into North Korea by defector groups and Grand National Party (GNP) lawmakers on the 69th birthday of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il on Feb. 16 and the recent launch of psychological warfare items into North Korea by South Korean military authorities, calling them “confrontational madness” and “war crimes.”
“The Key Resolve/Foal Eagle drills, as defense exercises, would proceed as scheduled irrespective of North Korea’s threats,” said a Defense Ministry official in response to North Korea’s statements. “South Korea will thoroughly prepare for the possibility of North Korean provocations, strengthening its alert status and surveillance of North Korea.”
The Unification Ministry said it has asked South Korean businesses at the Kaesong Industrial Complex to pay particular attention to the safety of South Korean personnel while the drills are ongoing, but as of now has no plans to take additional measures, including travel restrictions.
The South Korean and US forces began their annual spring drils on Monday. Some 200-thousand South Korean and 12,8-hundred US troops are participating in the drills.　　
　　
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