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South Korea and the US raised their military alert level to the highest category since 2006, on Thursday, on the peninsula following North Korea's military threats against them even as Washington warned Pyongyang of "consequences" for its "provocative and belligerent" actions.
South Korea and the United States raised the military alert level for the peninsula after the Pyongyang warned on Wednesday that the truce ending the Korean War was dead and it was ready to attack.
North Korea, which conducted a nuclear test on Monday, ramped up tensions on the Korean Peninsula by test-firing five missiles and issuing war threats. "Any tiny hostile acts against our republic, including the stopping and searching of our peaceful vessels... will face an immediate and strong military strike in response," the North Korean military said on Wednesday.
South Korea's defence ministry said air and ground forces were on alert on the tense land and sea border after the reclusive communist regime in the North announced it was abandoning the armistice in force since the end of the Korean War in 1953 after Seoul joined the US-led programme to to stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction. "We are maintaining a tight defence posture to prevent the North's military provocations," said ministry spokesman Won Tae-Jae. The US, which fought along with South Korea in the 1950-53 Korean war, still stations 28,500 troops there.
In Washington, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked North Korea to desist from provocative acts like nuclear tests and missile launch in violation of international law, saying that there are consequences to such actions.
"There are consequences to such actions," she said charging North Korea of abrogating the obligations it entered into through the Six-Party Talks. "And it continues to act in a provocative and belligerent manner toward its neighbours". "I want to underscore the commitment the United States has, and intends always to honour, for the defence of South Korea and Japan," Clinton said.
She said that discussions were going on in the United Nations to add to the consequences that North Korea would face coming out of its latest behaviour. Clinton was satisfied with the action of international community, including China and Russia, in setting forth a very specific condemnation of North Korea and then working for a firm resolution going forward.
The White House said the actions of North Korea have further deepened their own isolation from the international community and from the rights and obligations that they themselves have agreed to live up to.