More than 430 South Koreans crossed into North Korea today and met relatives for the first time since they were separated by the Korean War more than half a century ago.

North Korea today threatened the US and South Korea with a “physical response” if they go ahead with war drills this weekend.

The US said today that China and other key nations had agreed to condemn the attack on a South Korean warship and express “deep concern” over findings that North Korea was to blame.

The UN Command’s Military Armistice Commission has started an inquiry into whether the sinking of a South Korean naval ship blamed on North Korea broke the Korean War truce.

US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said today that North Korea should face international consequences over the sinking of a South Korean warship.

High-level military officials from North Korea and the US-led UN Command held urgent talks at the border today amid heightened tensions in the region and concerns that the North intends to test-fire a long-range missile.

North Korea today cut off the only regular military contact with the US-led United Nations Command that monitors the Korean War armistice, accusing America of trying to attack the communist state.

North Korea today warned that the situation on its divided peninsula was so alarming that “a nuclear war may break out at any moment.”

NORTH Korea expressed regret for a June 29 naval clash with South Korea and proposed talks aimed at resolving the issue, the South Korean government said yesterday.

Draped with flags, the coffins of four South Korean sailors killed in a sea battle with North Korea were carried past weeping relatives and servicemen at a funeral service in Seoul today.