South Korea sees ‘chance of military provocation’ from North

SEOUL - South Korea’s prime minister said Friday that North Korea’s precarious diplomatic and economic position made renewed attacks a real possibility.

“Seeing the situations in North Korea, there is a chance of its military provocation again,” Kim Hwang Sik was quoted as saying by South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.

Speaking at an annual meeting of top defence commanders and ministers, Kim said the military “should be fully prepared”.

Tensions have been growing on the peninsula since attacks on a South Korean navy ship in March and on one of its islands in November left 50 people dead.

Exploratory talks this month failed to agree on an agenda for higher-level military negotiations. Specifically, the North refused to discuss allegations that it provoked both the sinking and the artillery bombardment of the island, Yonhap said.

The economically beleaguered North opened the most recent round of talks in the hope of obtaining much-needed humanitarian aid, including food and fertiliser, the report said.

Yonhap also reported that satellite photos have shown a newly completed missile launch site, which it described as “gigantic and cutting-edge”, near North Korea’s border with China.