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Threat of nuclear war raised over SKorea-US collaboration
Source: Agencies |
December 14, 2010, Tuesday
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NORTH Korea warned yesterday that United States-South Korean cooperation could bring a nuclear war to the region, as the South Korea began artillery drills amid lingering tension.
The South Korea's naval live-fire drills are scheduled to run until Friday at 27 sites. The regularly scheduled exercises are getting special attention after a North Korean artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island that killed two South Korean marines and two civilians.
The November 23 artillery barrage began after the North Korea said South Korea first fired artillery toward its territorial waters. South Korea says it fired shells south, not toward North Korea, as part of routine exercises.
After the attack, South Korea staged joint military drills with the US and also pushed ahead with more artillery exercises, despite the North Korea's warning that they would aggravate tension.
A South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff officer tried to play down the significance of this week's drills, saying they are part of routine military exercises and would not occur near the disputed western Korean sea border where last month's attack took place.
North Korea, however, lashed out at Seoul, accusing South Korea of collaborating with the US and Japan to ratchet up pressure on Pyongyang.
That cooperation "is nothing but treachery escalating the tension between the North Korea and the South Korea and bringing the dark clouds of a nuclear war to hang over the Korean peninsula," Pyongyang's main Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in a commentary carried by the North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency.
Yesterday, South Korean and US defense officials met in Seoul for one-day discussions on North Korea and other issues that are part of regular defense talks, according to Seoul's Defense Ministry.
At the opening of the meeting, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Schiffer said "the United States stands shoulder to shoulder with the Republic of Korea and with the Korean people in the face of recent North Korean provocations."
Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg is also set to visit China later this week for talks on North Korea. After the China meeting, senior US officials accompanying Steinberg will travel on to Seoul and Tokyo.
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, meanwhile, leaves the US for North Korea today. Richardson has made regular visits to North Korea and has also played host to North Korean officials in New?Mexico.
The South Korea's naval live-fire drills are scheduled to run until Friday at 27 sites. The regularly scheduled exercises are getting special attention after a North Korean artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island that killed two South Korean marines and two civilians.
The November 23 artillery barrage began after the North Korea said South Korea first fired artillery toward its territorial waters. South Korea says it fired shells south, not toward North Korea, as part of routine exercises.
After the attack, South Korea staged joint military drills with the US and also pushed ahead with more artillery exercises, despite the North Korea's warning that they would aggravate tension.
A South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff officer tried to play down the significance of this week's drills, saying they are part of routine military exercises and would not occur near the disputed western Korean sea border where last month's attack took place.
North Korea, however, lashed out at Seoul, accusing South Korea of collaborating with the US and Japan to ratchet up pressure on Pyongyang.
That cooperation "is nothing but treachery escalating the tension between the North Korea and the South Korea and bringing the dark clouds of a nuclear war to hang over the Korean peninsula," Pyongyang's main Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in a commentary carried by the North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency.
Yesterday, South Korean and US defense officials met in Seoul for one-day discussions on North Korea and other issues that are part of regular defense talks, according to Seoul's Defense Ministry.
At the opening of the meeting, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Schiffer said "the United States stands shoulder to shoulder with the Republic of Korea and with the Korean people in the face of recent North Korean provocations."
Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg is also set to visit China later this week for talks on North Korea. After the China meeting, senior US officials accompanying Steinberg will travel on to Seoul and Tokyo.
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, meanwhile, leaves the US for North Korea today. Richardson has made regular visits to North Korea and has also played host to North Korean officials in New?Mexico.
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