South Korea military exercises puts region on ‘brink of war’

This week saw the heaviest bombardment of South Korean territory by North Korea since the 1950 to 53 Korean War, which resulted in two civilians and two soldiers being killed.

Today the North’s official KCNA news agency said: “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).”

Typically aggressive language from the North, but amid heightened tension, it was enough to depress the won as much as 2.2 per cent. The stock market closed down by 1.3 per cent.

Artillery fire heard

Earlier there was panic in the South Korean capital Seoul when television reported sounds of artillery fire near Yeongpyeong, the island near the disputed maritime boundary which was shelled earlier this week.

The military, trying to reassure the public, said the artillery fire was distant and no shells had landed on South Korean territory. The most plausible reason for it was that it was a North Korean drill, according to Yonhap news agency.

Hundreds of former South Korean soldiers held a protest rally in the border town of Paju earlier, accusing the government of being too weak.

The President of the Association of ex-mariners Kim Byong-su said: “The lazy government’s policies towards North Korea are too soft.

“It needs to take revenge on a bunch of mad dogs. We need to show them South Korea is not to be played with.”

A market analyst at NH Investment & Securities Kim Hyoung-ryoul said: “Investors are growing more jittery ahead of the joint military exercise.

“The key concern is, whether North Korea will again take unforeseen, rash actions.”

South Korea named a career soldier as its new defence minister following criticism over the government’s weak response to Tuesday’s attack.

Kim Kwan-jin, 61, has been appointed by the presidential Blue House to replace Kim Tae-Young. He is a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Tae-Young had tried to resign the defence role in May following criticism of the government’s response to a torpedo attack on a South Korean warship, which was blamed on Pyongyang.

The presidential secretary Hong Sang-pyo told a news conference: “(We) think nominee Kim, well-respected for professionalism and conviction, is the right person for the post in order to restore trust from people and boost morale in the entire military.”

It needs to take revenge on a bunch of mad dogs. We need to show them South Korea is not to be played with.

A US aircraft carrier group is en-route to the Yellow Sea, led by nuclear-powered USS George Washington, to take part in military exercises with the South Korean Navy, which starts on Sunday.

The four-day manoeuvres were planned before this week’s shelling in order to show unity and strength, but this tactic has unsettled Pyongyang and China, her neighbour.

Pressure on China

Diplomatic pressure is on China from Washington to rein in North Korea to help ease the tension in the world’s fastest-growing economic region.

President Barack Obama is expected to talk to Chinese President Hu Jintao over the coming days.

However, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said the focus should be placed on the revival of stalled six-party talks with both Koreas, Russia, Chine, Japan and the US. He also expressed concern over this weekend’s joint military exercises.

Spokesman Hong Lei said: “We have noted the relevant reports and express our concern about this.”

Concerned a collapse in the Pyongyang leadership could bring instability to its own borders, China has long propped up the regime. She is also concerned that a unified Korea would be dominated by the US.

So far North Korea has defied calls to end its nuclear ambitions.