PYONGYANG: North Korea declared on Saturday that it has entered a “state of war” with South Korea, stating that from now on any issues between the two countries will be handled according to wartime protocol.
“As of now, inter-Korea relations enter a state of war and all matters between the two Koreas will be handled according to wartime protocol,” the North said in a government statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
“The long-standing situation of the Korean peninsula being neither at peace nor at war is finally over,” the statement said, adding that any US or South Korean provocation would trigger “a nuclear war”.
The North and South are still technically at war after the 1950-53 civil war ended in a truce rather than a treaty.
Meanwhile, the United States said it took the new North Korean announcement “seriously”. “We’ve seen reports of a new and unconstructive statement from North Korea,” said Caitlin Hayden, spokeswoman for the National Security Council.
“We take these threats seriously and remain in close contact with our South Korean allies.”
“But, we would also note that North Korea has a long history of bellicose rhetoric and threats and today’s announcement follows that familiar pattern,” Hayden added.
DND
