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DPRK accuses South Korea of bringing two nations to "brink of war," threatening military action

Xinhua, August 22, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Friday claimed South Korea's provocative action along the De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) has brought the two nations to "the brink of war," threatening "strong military action" if Seoul doesn't halt its loudspeaker propaganda campaign.

The DPRK also sought an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on the crisis, but there was no immediate response.

Ambassador An Myong Hun, the deputy permanent representative of the DPRK to the United Nations, read out a statement to reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York, which contained the accusations plus the threat with a Saturday deadline.

He also distributed copies of a letter, written by the DPRK's permanent representative to the United Nations Ja Song Nam, which had been sent to Ambassador U Joy Ogwu of Nigeria, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the 15-nation council for this month.

The letter labeled the Aug. 4 "landmine incident" as a "fabrication," in which, two South Korean soldiers reportedly were wounded when landmines detonated in the southern section of DMZ separating the two Koreas.

But Seoul used its huge loudspeakers, silenced for the past 11 years, to broadcast what Pyongyang calls "psychological warfare" into the DPRK.

South Korea, accusing Pyongyang forces of trying to knock out one of its loudspeaker setups by firing weapons at it, lobbed a volley of artillery into the DPRK.

Tensions heighten annually when South Korea and the United States hold joint military exercises in or around the Korean Peninsula and this year's Ulji Freedom Guardian (UFG) maneuvers proves no exception.

"In light of the brink of war situation on the Korean peninsula created by the intentional provocations made by the United States and South Korea which constitute a serious threat to international peace and Security," Ja requested the Security Council meeting.

The DPRK had announced in Pyongyang, capital of the DPRK, its leader, Kim Jong Un, had ordered its frontline forces to enter a state of war "to be fully battle ready to launch a strong military action unless South Korea stop its psychological warfare campaigns."

An said that if South Korea didn't dismantle the loudspeakers and "respond to our ultimatum the response will be very strong."

The deadline was set for 5 p.m. local time (0830 GMT) Saturday. Endite