英闻天下——468 South Korea Reacts Strongly over DPRK's "State of War" Provocation

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　　The statement, announced by the country's national media, came after two American B-2 bombers² flew a training mission in South Korea.

 

　　"From this moment, north-south relations will be put in a state of war, and all issues arising between the North and the South will be dealt with according to wartime regulations."

 

　　The statement warned that any military provocation³ near the border of the two sides would result "in a full-scale conflict and a nuclear war."

 

　　North Korea also has decided⁴ to shut down a joint⁵ industrial park with South Korea in the border city Kaesong.

 

　　South Korea has protested the escalating⁶ tensions with its northern neighbor. Defense⁷ Ministry⁸ spokesperson Kim Min-seok said his country was ready to counteract⁹ any threats from the North.

 

　　"A series of North Korean threats such as announcing all-out war, scrapping¹⁰ the ceasefire agreement between the South and the North, cutting the military hotline, entering combat ready posture¹¹ No.1 and entering 'a state of war,' are unacceptable, harming the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula. We are keeping full military readiness posture to secure our people's lives and safety, the life and security without any faults."

 

　　Meanwhile, many South Koreans poured onto the streets in capital Seoul to show that they were not afraid of Pyongyang's military threats.

 

　　Han Kyung-soo was one of the demonstrators.

 

　　"As the U.S. forces support the South with their weapon-detecting capability¹² or B-2 stealth bomber¹, I do not think war will break out. If it breaks out, it means that the North Korean regime will fall."

 

　　But residents on the South Korean border island of Yeonpyeong were uneasy as they remembered the 2010 shelling.

 

　　"If the North provokes again like it did in 2010, I think there will be a full-out war. I don't think the North would be that reckless, but they're just so unpredictable."

 

　　In 2010, North Korea fired multiple shells at the island killing¹³ four people, including two civilians¹⁴.

 

　　Two B-2 Spirit bombers were sent to the Korean Peninsula earlier this week for a firing drill, but U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel denied the move would aggravate¹⁵ the situation in the region.

 

　　The two Koreas have been in a technical state of war since their 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice¹⁶ and not a peace treaty, although Pyongyang in March declared the truce¹⁷ no longer valid¹⁸.

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