Talk of war between North & South Korea

The remarks of General Kim Tae-Young, South Korea’s new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff last Wednesday, telling the parliament that “South would strike the North’s nuclear sites should the communist country attack it with nuclear weapons” have caused a diplomatic confrontation between the two countries.

On Saturday, North Korea’s military threatened to cut all dialogue with South Korea, calling for an apology over remarks by the South’s top military general and signaling a further slide in relations.

North’s military stated that “these outbursts are the gravest challenge ever in the history of the inter-Korean relations and a reckless provocation little short of a war declaration”.

They continued by adding that they “will counter any slightest move of the South side for ‘pre-emptive attack’ with more rapid and more powerful pre-emptive attack of its own”.

Further reinforcing their position, late Friday - according to AFP - North Korea test-fired several short range missiles, the first in nine months of the test-firings in the Yellow Sea.

The test-firings came after the north expelled South Korean officials from Kaesong industrial park, the most important inter-Korean project and the most visible symbol of reconciliation.

The recent developments could cause North Korea to slow down work to disable atomic plants.