South Korea conducted live-fire military drills today from five islands near its disputed sea boundary with North Korea, despite Pyongyang’s threat to attack.

North Korea will launch “merciless” strikes if South Korea goes through with planned live-fire drills near their disputed sea border, a North Korean officer said yesterday, amid persistent tension on the divided peninsula.

South Korea’s president compared a deadly North Korean artillery barrage to the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, saying today that the South must strengthen defences and cannot let the North “covet even an inch of our territory”.

South Korea's president vowed relentless retaliation against North Korea if provoked again, saying he was not afraid of a war with the communist state.

SOUTH KOREA will stage naval firing drills at 23 venues from today, but will exclude areas near the disputed sea border with North Korea, the military said.

NORTH and South Korea beat the drums of war yesterday, with each threatening the other with immediate retaliation if attacked.

North Korea today threatened to launch a “sacred” nuclear war against South Korea if it is attacked

North Korea has branded South Korea's military exercise today as "provocative" and "offensive".

South Korea mobilised troops, tanks, helicopters and fighter jets today for its largest winter military drills in a show of force a month after North Korea’s deadly shelling of a front-line island.

North Korea backed off from its threats to retaliate against South Korea for military drills and reportedly offered concessions on its nuclear programme.

NORTH KOREA backed away from threats to retaliate against South Korea for military exercises yesterday and offered concessions on its nuclear programme.

North Korea backed away from threats to retaliate against South Korea for military exercises today and offered concessions on its nuclear programme.

South Korea has completed live-fire drills from a frontline island bombed last month by North Korea, in defiance of the North’s threats to attack again.

North Korea warned today that US-South Korean co-operation could bring nuclear war to the region.

South Korea’s president declared the reunification of Korea was drawing near, in a surprising statement amid soaring tension on the divided peninsula.

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said today his office was starting a preliminary examination of possible war crimes by North Korea.

The US, Japan and South Korea have said they will not resume nuclear negotiations with North Korea until it ends its "provocative and belligerent" behaviour and takes concrete steps to roll back its nuclear arms programme.

South Korean troops pushed ahead with naval firing drills today, a day after North Korea warned such exercises would aggravate already high tensions between the rivals following the North’s deadly shelling last month of a frontline South Korean island.

North Korea lambasted South Korea’s new defence chief for threatening to launch air strikes against the North and accused the South of causing “uncontrollable, extreme” tension on the peninsula.

The United States and South Korea were finishing war manoeuvres today aimed at North Korea after a deadly attack and discussing whether to hold more, as China tried to restart the aid-for-nuclear-disarmament talks coveted by the North.

South Korea today announced a provocative series of front-line military exercises on the island shelled by North Korea last week, then immediately postponed them.

The sound of new artillery fire from North Korea just hours after the US and South Korea launched a round of war games in Korean waters sent residents and journalists on a front-line island scrambling for cover today.

North Korea has today accused South Korea of using civilians as human shields around artillery positions on an island attacked by the North, seeking to justify a bombardment that killed four South Koreans and sent tensions soaring.

NORTH KOREA staged an artillery drill yesterday within earshot of a South Korean island shelled earlier this week, and warned that an upcoming US-South Korean naval exercise heightens the risk of war.

North Korea warned today that US-South Korean plans for military manoeuvres put the peninsula on the brink of war, and appeared to launch its own artillery drills within sight of the island it showered with a deadly barrage earlier this week.

Sounds of artillery have been heard on the Yellow Sea island attacked earlier this week by North Korea, South Korea said today.

South Korea’s defence minister resigned today amid intense criticism two days after a North Korean artillery attack killed four people on a small island near the Koreas’ disputed frontier.

The burnt bodies of two male civilians have been found on an island attacked by North Korea, South Korean officials said.

North Korea fired artillery barrages onto a South Korean island near their disputed border today, setting buildings alight and prompting South Korea to return fire and scramble fighter jets.

South Korea said today it scrambled F-16 fighter jets and returned fire after North Korea shot dozens of rounds of artillery on to a populated South Korean island near the countries’ western border.