North Korea is accusing the United States and South Korea of pushing the Korean peninsula to the brink of war if the two countries go ahead with planned military exercises this week. Tensions in the region remain high on Friday as sounds of artillery fire were heard in the North near the South Korean island that came under a deadly artillery attack from North Korea on Tuesday. A spokesman for the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said no projectiles landed on South Korean territory. Tensions remain high as the top U.S. commander in South, Korea General Walter Sharp, visited the island to survey the damage.
"What I've seen here physically North Korea attacked this island, which is a clear violation of the armistice agreement," said General Sharp.
Meanwhile, North Korea warned that a planned U.S.-South Korean naval exercises this week would push the Korean peninsula to the brink of war. In Seoul, Marzuki Darusman, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, called for dialogue, not an escalation in military tensions.
"This underscores the importance and need for resumption of multilateral meetings involving [North Korea]," said Darusman. "The [North Korea] should not find itself in isolation at a juncture when it needs the support and cooperation of the international community the most."
| The Norks seem to be doing whatever they want just fine without the 'support and cooperation of the international community". I honestly can't figure the logic of the UN rapporteur: it's like he's a North Korean who's been trained by Joe Mendiola ... |
North Korea's closest ally, China, has called for both sides to exercise restraint. Brian Myers is a professor of international politics in South Korea. "North Korea is going to keep escalating," said Myers. "They are going to cross a point sooner or later where the United States in South Korea have to respond. And, and it seems to me that China needs to be made aware of that fact, that if it wants... It can not prop-up this country indefinitely because this country is going to bring down ruin upon itself sooner or later."
China's Foreign Ministry said Friday Beijing opposes any "unilateral military act" in the area without its permission. Meantime, South Korean military officials have said they will revise rules of military engagement to permit a more aggressive reply to any future attacks by North Korea.