SEOUL, Dec. 27 (Yonhap) -- Warning its patience is running out, North Korea praised itself Monday over its decision not to react to a high-stakes South Korean live-fire drill that had taken place near the countries' volatile Yellow Sea border earlier this month.
The Dec. 20 exercise on the island of Yeonpyeong took place amid the highest tension between the two Koreas in years, after the North bombarded the island last month and threatened to mount a deadlier attack should the South conduct another live-fire drill on it.
Despite the threat, the North refrained from retaliation, belittling the exercise as something that "does not even deserve a passing notice." Analysts said the restraint substantiated their observation that the impoverished communist country chooses to refrain from provocation when its foes are on full alert.
| Especially when US forces were on alert, the Korean air force was in the air, and the Korean Navy was ready to go. Kimmie and Sonny-Boy saw that their bluff had been called and decided to fold. That's going to be a problem for them in the coming months given how shrill the Norks were in their threats over this drill. |
"Armed clashes have not occurred in the Yellow Sea of Korea despite the dangerous collusion between the U.S. and South Korean war-like forces," the Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the North's ruling Workers' Party, said in a commentary.
"This is entirely thanks to the pluck, the self-restraint and steadfast will of the DPRK to preserve peace. But there is a limit to its patience, too," said the commentary, carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.
| The SKors did themselves some good with this drill. By going ahead, they exposed the Norks to be bluffing. In the past there was usually some sort of back-down by the SKors and some diplomatic (or cash) payoff to the North. Not this time. Lee's new message about smacking the Norks down next time now has a little credibility. |
|