N. Korea renews warning on South's plan to join U.S.-led drive

SEOUL, May 4 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Monday renewed its warning that South
Korea's participation in a U.S.-led security campaign will be regarded as a
declaration of war and vowed to bolster its nuclear force in self-defense.

The warning has been repeated by North Korea several times since the Seoul
government announced its plan in early April to expand its participation in the
Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) aimed at curbing the spread of weapons of
mass destruction. South Korea is currently an observer in the campaign.
The Lee Myung-bak government postponed the official announcement several times
amid the threats from North Korea and has yet to decide when to make it. The
Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's major newspaper, published by the Workers' Party,
blasted Lee's recent remarks at a meeting with security-related Cabinet ministers
that despite the repeated postponements, Seoul will eventually join the PSI.
"For traitor Lee Myung-bak to speak of full participation in the Proliferation
Security Initiative is a public declaration of military confrontation against us
and of war provocation to invade the North," the paper said in a commentary.
"Should the South Korean authorities take such an action, basic common sense
dictates that it will lead to military clashes between the two sides and escalate
to a full-blown war," the paper said.
North Korea made a similar warning on the PSI on Sunday.
The paper lambasted the PSI as a U.S.-led alliance aimed at "militarily
containing and economically suffocating" North Korea and other countries that are
disfavored by the U.S.
Seoul officials argue South Korea is not specifically targeting the North but is
joining global efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons, missiles and other
weapons of mass destruction.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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