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

(ATTN: UPDATES with N. Korea's English statement, warning on U.N. sanctions)
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.
Seoul's Lee Myung-bak government has repeatedly postponed the official PSI
announcement amid the threats from North Korea and has yet to decide on when to
make it. The Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's main newspaper, published by the
Workers' Party, blasted Lee's recent remarks at a meeting with security-related
Cabinet ministers that despite the postponements, Seoul will eventually join the
PSI.
"This cannot be construed otherwise than extremely reckless and bellicose moves
to drive the inter-Korean relations to the brink of war in collusion with outside
forces," the paper said in a commentary.
"Traitor Lee Myung-bak's talk about the full participation in the PSI brought to
light once again his true colors as a war maniac bereft of reason as he does not
rule out even a war against the DPRK (North Korea), standing in confrontation
with it to the last," it 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 "tightening the
military blockade against the DPRK and isolating and stifling it."
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.
The paper also warned against Seoul backing U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang's
April 5 rocket launch. The U.N. Security Council adopted a presidential statement
condemning the launch and blacklisted three North Korean firms suspected of
financing the country's nuclear and missile activities.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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