North Korea Threatens Retaliation

North Korea ordered its armed forces on standby and warned Monday it will retaliate against anyone seeking to block its planned satellite launch, which many fear will disguise a missile test.

The threat was the North’s latest attempt to escalate tensions on the divided peninsula and a strong sign that the communist nation intends to push ahead with the launch despite mounting international pressure to drop the plan. Analysts say Pyongyang is trying to grab President Barack Obama’s attention as his administration formulates its North Korea policy.

Monday’s warning came hours before United States and South Korea kicked off annual war games involving tens of thousands of troops, which the communist nation has condemned as preparations for an invasion.

The joint drills across South Korea began as concerns mounted that Pyongyang could be gearing up to test-fire a long-range missile capable of reaching U.S. territory. North Korea says it plans to launch a communications satellite, but neighboring governments believe it is a cover for a missile test.

Analysts have said a launch could come late this month or in early April when the North’s new legislature, chosen in Sunday’s election, is expected to convene its first meeting to confirm Kim Jong Il as leader.

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South Korea’s Navy On Alert After North Issues Warning Of Conflict

North Korea issued another warning on Sunday, threatening South Korea of a possible military conflict as the former try to restructure its foreign policies against South Korea amid mounting tension in the Korean Peninsula.

The reports on Sunday said the South Korean Defense Ministry officials have indicated that the country’s navy will remain on high alert along the western sea border.

The Communist country warned that it will abandon all the peace agreements with its southern neighbor, adding that he is confident that it’s army has grown to be “invincible”

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) claimed that the South Korean government has been responsible for worsening ties between the two nations.

South Korean president had pledged to reduce tensions by resuming food aid after the talks between the two sides, which accepted truce after 1950-1953 conflict but have not agreed on a peace treaty.

But with Friday’s warning by the North, the political analysts fear that the tension may lead to inevitable military conflict and a war.

“The KPA (Korean People’s Army)… has grown to be the invincible revolutionary ranks all members of which devotedly defend the Party and the leader” the North’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted Kim Jong-Il as saying, without giving a date for the visit, according to AFP.

The state media has blamed the South Korea’s president for trying to avoid his personal responsibility for the two sides’ strained relations by reviving previous bilateral summit accords.

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