UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – On Monday, South Korea and the United States commenced the Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) drill amid intensified tensions with North Korea.
On Thursday, North Korea reportedly fired shells at a South Korean military base across the demilitarized zone. Seoul retaliated with dozens of heavy artillery rounds.
"In light of the brink-of-war situation on the Korean peninsula created by intentional provocations made by the United States and South Korea which constitute a serious threat to international peace and security, I strongly request that the issues of South Koreas’ shelling on the DPRK and psychological warfare campaigns…be placed on the Security Council agenda," An Myong-hun said in a Friday statement.
An Myong-hun stressed on Friday that North Korea did not fire a single shell or bullet on August 20.
North Korea’s deputy UN envoy said that "South Korea and the United States are acting according to their playbook of war scenario by way of fabricating of a ‘landmine incident’ and a ‘shelling from the DPRK’ [North Korea] and resuming of psychological warfare campaigns."
The Thursday incident, which was the first major armed clash between the neighbors in five years, came in the wake of Seoul’s resumed broadcasting of military propaganda over the border toward North Korea, a practice it had suspended over a decade earlier.
The North Korean People's Army had warned that it would destroy the South Korean loudspeaker systems located near the demilitarized zone, if Seoul continued to operate them.
On Friday, North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un ordered the country’s army to bring the frontline combined units to "wartime state to be fully battle ready to launch a strong military action," according to An Myong-hun.
South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense warned on Friday that it would carry out a tough response if the North continued to escalate tensions.
South Korea has also resumed its planned joint military exercise with the United States, with the US forces having gone on an enhanced status as part of the drills on Friday, according to US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs David Shear.
