Pyongyang again denies shelling South Korea, accuses Seoul of fabrication

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Friday again denied the South Korean military's accusation of shelling the south, and blasted Seoul for fabricating such an incident.

The current complicated and tense situation between the two Koreas was attributed to hostile provocations from the south, Kim Yong Chol, director of the investigation bureau of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army, said at a press briefing, rebuffing Seoul's claim that Pyongyang was the first to make provocation.

He accused the South Korean authorities of fabricating such a case of the north shelling the south and firing back rounds of artillery shells before even confirming the accurate locations of where the shell came from and where it landed.

This was a groundless allegation based on no scientific evidence, he stressed.

If the DPRK had really intended to strike the south in order to destroy the broadcasting loudspeakers at the border, it would have fired more anti-aircraft artillery and the shell would not have fallen onto a low hill as the South Korean Defense Ministry claimed, Kim added.

Errors can occur on the south's radar detecting system, which may lead to misjudgment and wrong analysis, he said.

He noted that South Korea has made such maneuvers in an effort to both transfer responsibilities for escalating inter-Korean tensions and intensify anti-DPRK leaflets drop operations and psychological warfare.

Psychological warfare is an offensive war move and grave military provocation, Kim emphasized.

He asked diplomatic missions in attendance at the press briefing not to be fooled by the south side and give full support to the DPRK's stances.

Meanwhile, the official KCNA news agency reported that the military has "wound up preparations for military action" and entered a wartime state, "waiting for an order of attack to destroy the war maniacs."

South Korea said its military on Thursday fired dozens of shells toward the DPRK, which Seoul said had earlier launched artillery shells twice into the south side in the western border. But the DPRK has strongly denied the accusation.

The shelling raised the already heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. On Aug. 4, two South Korean soldiers were maimed after the explosion of three wooden-box landmines, which South Korea claimed had been planted by DPRK forces. Pyongyang denied any role in the incident.

From Aug. 10, South Korea's military resumed propaganda broadcasts with loudspeakers for the first time over the past 11 years in frontline units, causing threats from the DPRK that it would strike the loudspeakers harshly.

When chairing an enlarged emergency meeting of the central military commission of the Workers' Party of Korea late Thursday, DPRK top leader Kim Jong Un ordered the country's frontline combined forces to enter a quasi-state of war from 5:00 p.m. (0830 GMT) on Friday. Endi