Just days after an underground test of a nuclear bomb, North Korea has threatened U.S. and South Korean Warships that are patrolling the disputed maritime border. South Korea has said that it would search suspect ships, and North Korea in turn says that that is equal to a “declaration of war”.
Yongbyon Nuclear Facility
The U.S. is currently leading what is called the Proliferation Security Initiative; a program to search and intercept suspected ships that may be aiding North Korea in proliferation of nuclear weapons. The South Koreans joined the initiative and the North decided to do a little saber rattling. They are now warning the United States and South Korea that any attempt to board or intercept ships could be met with retaliation.
In a statement from North Korea’s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea said:
“Now that the South Korean puppets were so ridiculous as to join in the said racket and dare declare a war against compatriots (North Korea is) compelled to take a decisive measure.”
South Korea had previously held off joining the Proliferation Security Initiative in hopes of seeking reconciliation with Pyongyang. The underground test of nuclear weapons spurred the South to join the United States led initiative and has further isolated the North.
In threatening U.S. and South Korean civilian and military vessels off the coast of the western maritime border, Pyongyang said that they could no longer guarantee those ships safe passage.
“They should bear in mind that the (North) has tremendous military muscle and its own method of strike able to conquer any targets in its vicinity at one stroke or hit the U.S. on the raw, if necessary,” it said.
United States spy satellites have detected that North Korea has restarted its Yongbyon nuclear plant; a development that is disconcerting to the United States and South Korea as they had looked to gain ground in talks with the rogue state which had never really taken off.
The maritime border with South Korea has been an issue of contention with the North since the end of the Korean war in the early fifties; and it has been the source of a couple of skirmishes in the past ten years. This however has the potential to become very volatile, with North Korea actually threatening U.S. warships.
North Korea Threat Video