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North Korea threatens 'firing attacks' on South over leaflets about Mideast turmoil
North Korea on Sunday threatened to fire cross-border shots if South Korea continues a leaflet-launching propaganda campaign, which aims in part to inform the hermetic North of popular revolts in the Middle East.
In a statement carried by its state-run news agency, Pyongyang called the leaflets - stuffed into columnlike balloons - a psychological plot to "shake up our socialism and break the trust of our military and people." Calling it a matter of self-defense, North Korea said it would "launch direct, targeted firing attacks" on any area where South Korean activists or military members are seen releasing the balloons.
Although the North issues frequent threats to its neighbor, the latest warning comes one day before a U.S.-South Korea military drill that Pyongyang considers a preparation for invasion.
In a separate statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, Pyongyang also threatened to bolster its nuclear arsenal in response to the "dangerous" U.S.-South Korea military drills. The North warned that it was willing to start a "full-scale" war if provoked.