PH
South Korea says it has tried to send a message urging North Korea to apologise for its recent artillery fire provocation and to punish those responsible.
But, according to Seoul’s Unification Ministry on Friday, North Korean refused to receive the South Korean message.
The latest tensions on the divided Korean Peninsula erupted on Thursday when South Korea accused the rival North of firing artillery rounds on a border town and threatening more action unless Seoul ends loudspeaker broadcasts of anti-Pyongyang propaganda.
They have been activated recently for the first time in 11 years.
South Korea retaliated by firing dozens of its own rounds across the border. There were no reports of casualties.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, citing an unidentified government source, is reporting that South Korean and US surveillance assets detected the movement of vehicles in North Korea carrying short-range Scud and medium-range Rodong missiles in a possible preparation for launches.
South Korea’s Defense Ministry said it could not confirm the report.
It comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Friday declared his front-line troops in a “quasi-state of war,” a day after South Korea fired dozens of artillery rounds across the border.
It was in response to what Seoul said were North Korean artillery strikes meant to back up a threat to attack loudspeakers broadcasting anti-Pyongyang propagand
