North Korea threatens action over buffer zone 'misuse'

North Korea warned the US and South Korea of possible deadly consequences in retaliation for what it called psychological warfare involving journalist tours to the South’s portion of the buffer zone between the rivals.

Today’s warning came after a South Korean military ship sank on Saturday due to an unexplained explosion onboard.

The ship was near the disputed sea border with North Korea, though South Korean and US officials said they saw nothing that suggests any North Korean involvement.

The statement by the North’s military accused South Korea of staging anti-North Korea “psychological warfare” in the demilitarised zone with visits there by journalists there this year.

The North said that allowing the reporters to tour the zone and nearby areas was aimed at preparing “materials for anti-north smear campaigns”.

The statement said those actions violate the armistice that ended hostilities in the 1950-53 conflict and that the US, a truce signatory, is also responsible.

“If the US and the South Korean authorities persist in their wrong acts to misuse the DMZ for the inter-Korean confrontation despite our warnings, these will entail unpredictable incidents including the loss of human lives in this area for which the US side will be wholly to blame,” the statement said.

The statement was issued in the name of an unidentified spokesman for the Korean People’s Army in Panmunjom in the DMZ.

The North routinely issues warnings and threatens to attack South Korea and the US. The military on Friday threatened “unprecedented nuclear strikes” in anger over a report Seoul and Washington plan to prepare for possible instability in the totalitarian country.