Wednesday, May 26, 2010

North Korea warns it will block border if South resumes broadcast

North Korea warned today it would block South Korean access to a joint industrial estate in its territory if Seoul goes ahead with its plan to resume cross-border propaganda broadcasts. The North’s military vowed in a message to the South to block its personnel and vehicles from the western section of the border if the broadcasts resume, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.

The military also repeated a threat to open fire at loudspeakers if they are switched on for the broadcasts. The South has decided to resume the broadcasts after a lapse of six years as part of reprisals against the North for the sinking of a warship. It has begun installing loudspeakers along the heavily fortified frontier, and has also resumed FM radio broadcasts to the North. In addition, it plans to scatter propaganda leaflets across the border.

The South’s campaign aims to “push the daily aggravating inter-Korean relations to the brink of war”, the North said. “If the south side sets up even loudspeakers in the frontline area to resume the broadcasting, in particular, the KPA (North Korean army) will take military steps to blow up one by one the moment they appear by firing sighting shots.”
(Source: AFP/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)