A spokesperson for North Korea’s Panmunjom Mission restated on Wednesday that North Korea considers South Korea’s joining the PSI “a declaration of war.”
In the statement, which was released on the Chosun Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea revealed its position on the PSI, “We will recognize any trivial hostile actions against us, including attempts to control or search our peaceful vessels, as an unacceptable invasion and react against them with immediate and powerful military blows.”
It emphasized, “We cannot guarantee the legal status of South Korea’s five islands, Baekryeong, Daecheong, Socheong, Yonpyoeng and Woo, located in northwestern territorial waters on our side of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), the safe voyage of the U.S. invading army and the puppet’s navy, as well as that of general ships.”
The spokesperson asserted, “Joining the PSI is a violation of the Armistice Agreement between North and South and is an obvious injustice.” It continued, “Accordingly, the American imperialists and Lee Myung Bak traitor factions have driven the Chosun Peninsula situation into a state of war.”
“If the Armistice Agreement does not carry any legal binding force, the situation will revert to a state of war and our military will take action according to that state.”
North Korea’s aggressive reaction against the South’s joining the PSI had been widely anticipated.
Spokesperson for the Minister of Unification Cheon Hae Sung reported at a daily press briefing this morning, the 27th, “Communications between Northern and Southern naval authorities are in good working order. At present, five North Korean ships are travelling in our waters along the North- South maritime lane according to the Inter-Korean Maritime Agreement.”
