North Korea scraps peace accord

27/05/2010| IslamWeb

North Korea has said that it is scrapping a 2004 accord aimed at preventing accidental armed clashes with South Korea, as tensions continued to rise over the sinking of a warship.

In a notice to the South's armed forces on Thursday, the North's general chiefs of staff warned of an immediate attack if the South violates the disputed Yellow Sea border.

It also said that it will ban South Korean personnel and vehicles from entering a joint industrial park at the North Korean border town of Kaesong.

Meanwhile, a fleet of South Korean warships fired artillery and dropped anti-submarine bombs in a large-scale military exercise off the west coast of the country.

The navy said 10 warships, including a 3,500-tonne destroyer, fired artillery and dropped anti-submarine bombs as part of the one-day exercise.

Rising tensions

The developments came amid tensions on the divided peninsula that have risen since a team of international investigators said last week that a torpedo fired by a North Korean submarine tore apart and sank a South Korean warship on March 26, killing 46 sailors.

But the North accused South Korea's government of falsely blaming it for the sinking, partly to help the ruling party in local elections due to be held next week.

Chinese influence

China, the North's only major ally who in effect bankrolls its economy, has studiously tried to keep out of the fray, urging calm and refusing to voice support for the international report on the Cheonan sinking.

On Wednesday, China's foreign ministry repeated calls for calm and restraint, with Zhang Zhijun, the vice-foreign minister, saying China had no first-hand information on the sinking.

"We have always believed that dialogue is better than confrontation," Zhang said.

Most analysts doubt either side would deliberately risk a war, but say there is a serious risk that small skirmishes along the heavily-defended border could turn into a broader conflict.

Some worry pushing Kim Jong-il, the North Korean leader, too far may leave him little choice but to fight back to try to save his family's more than 60-year hold over the destitute country as he tries to secure the leadership succession for his youngest son.

PHOTO CAPTION

A South Korean patrol boat fires during a drill off the western coastal town of Taean May 27, 2010.

Al-Jazeera