ROK warns DPRK of harsh price for any further provocations

SEOUL - The Republic of Korea (ROK)'s top military officer on Friday warned the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) of "a harsh price" for any further provocations.

Defense Minister Han Min-koo issued a statement to the public, saying that if the DPRK causes any provocations on the excuse of propaganda broadcasts, the ROK military will sternly and severely retaliate and make the DPRK pay a harsh price for the provocations.

Han said that the ROK and the United States, which have been maintaining close coordination, would deter any DPRK provocations.

His statement came as Pyongyang issued a warning Thursday of "military actions" unless South Korea stops airing the propaganda broadcasts in border areas until 5 pm (0800 GMT) on Saturday.

The ROK resumed the psychological warfare from Aug. 10 as two ROK soldiers were maimed on Aug.4 by the blast of landmines, which Seoul claimed had been planted by DPRK forces. Pyongyang denied any role in the incident.

On Thursday, the two Koreas exchanged fires across border over the propaganda broadcasts, which the DPRK has called"a declaration of war."

Citing the mines blast and the shelling by the DPRK, Han said that those were criminal acts revealing the DPRK's bellicosity, which were in violation of the armistice agreement and non- aggression treaty.

He added that propaganda broadcasts were an appropriate response to the DPRK's landmine provocation, blaming the elevated tensions on the Korean Peninsula on the DPRK provocations.

The minister vowed to cut off the vicious circle this time of the DPRK provocations with a stern retaliation against further provocations.

The top leader of the DPRK Kim Jong-un has ordered the country's frontline combined forces to enter state of war from 5 pm (0830 GMT) Friday, the country's official KCNA news agency reported early Friday.