N. Korea: Crises Now at "Brink of War"
BBC reports:
North Korea has warned that the impending joint military exercises by the South and the US are pushing the region to "the brink of war".
A group of naval ships, led by a nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier, is heading to the Yellow Sea to take part in the drill, due to begin on Sunday.
At least four people died on Tuesday when the North surprised Seoul by shelling a southern island.
The comments come as the South decides who to appoint as new defence minister.
The previous minister, Kim Tae-young, resigned after criticism that he was too slow to respond to the attack on the island of Yeonpyeong.
The barrage of shells, which killed four South Koreans, is one of the worst incidents between the two Koreas since the end of the Korean war in 1953, which concluded without a peace treaty.
"The situation on the Korean Peninsula is inching closer to the brink of war due to the reckless plan of those trigger-happy elements to stage again war exercises targeted against the [North]," the North's official KCNA news agency said.
'Reckless provocation'
Though organised well ahead of this week's attack, the four-day naval manoeuvres are a show of defensive strength which, as well as angering North Korea, have also unsettled China, its major ally.
North Korea has warned it will "wage second and even third rounds of attacks without any hesitation if warmongers in South Korea make reckless military provocations again".
Artillery-like sounds were heard near Yeonpyeong island on Friday. South Korean officials said they were investigating.
