Seoul to go ahead with live-fire drill

Tensions threaten to spiral out of control in the Korean Peninsula as South Korean marines prepare for a live-fire military exercise on Yeonpyeong Island

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/155959.html

The South Korean military says it will conduct its joint live-fire exercise with the US on an island near the disputed sea border despite North Korea's warning of a deadly retaliation.

With the threat of a full-blown military confrontation looming large on the Korean Peninsula following the shelling of South Korean Yeonpyeong Island on November 23 by the North's forces, concerns are running high that Seoul's live-fire military drill, planned for Dec 18-21, on the island near the disputed sea would further complicate the situation in the region.

"There is no change in our stance with regards to the live-fire exercise," AFP quoted a South Korean defense ministry spokesman on Saturday. "We cannot confirm... whether we will carry out the exercise today."

The remarks come as North Korea vowed on Friday that it would immediately hit back with a deadlier attack as compared to its last month's bombardment, which killed four South Koreans, including two Marines and two civilians.

"It will be deadlier than what was made on November 23 in terms of the powerfulness and sphere of the strike," reads a statement by the North Korean military.

However, there were no signs of any visible military preparation or noticeable activity by the South Korean marines on Yeonpyeong, one of the five islands in the volatile western waters of the Korean Peninsula.

Yonhap news agency quoted a South Korean military source as saying that the planned drill may be postponed due to bad weather conditions.

"Weather conditions are the most important factor in deciding the time for a drill. Early next week will be the most likely time to hold it because the weather should improve," the source said.

Meanwhile, China called on the parties to the conflict to practice restraint, saying the regional stability would come under new strains if new clashes break out in the Korean Peninsula.

"The situation on the Korean peninsula is now particularly complex and sensitive, and China is highly concerned," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said on Saturday.

US diplomat Bill Richardson, who is in Pyongyang, also expressed deep concerns over the threat of military confrontation in the region, describing the situation as "a tinderbox."

He further urged North Korean officials to allow theb South conduct its live-fire exercises, with the United States, which currently has 28,000 troops stationed in South Korea.

The latest development comes as the outburst of enmity between Pyongyang and Seoul has invoked the specter of a full-blown military conflict reminiscent of the 1950-53 Korean War.

The two countries remain technically at war since the Korean conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.