North Korea launches verbal Salvo

SEOUL-

North Korea, three days after you have saved off threats against South Korea, the rhetoric of late Thursday by promising a "holy war" turned when territory, touches the South or USA during address visibility handling of North Korea South Korea officials tried.

In the North of the renewed threats came officials of their own rhetoric to South Korea, loosened the grows its military exercises - come after Monday's artillery test - occurred North Korean threats in violation was the impression that spoil Seoul for a fight is.

Beijing played a key role in convincing North Korea not to retaliate, a South Korean artillery practice, an American official said a Beijing sign may be ready to take a tougher stance on its erratic neighbor. Discuss Adam Entous and Evan Ramstad. Russell Pearlman of Topix also explains 2011 to invest where in the year.

The North Korean statement - which proposed with nuclear weapons, could use it, as in the previous tirades against South Korea - move attention back Pyongyang the potential to keep North-East Asia on edge.

Reuters South Korea Marines help attack on Yeonpyeong Island destroyed restore a village of North Korean artillery. Dong-a Ilbo / AFP/Getty Images Kim Yoon-OK, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, embraced military trainee during your visit to an army to recruit training center in Nonsan, South of Seoul, Tuesday.

But it shed little impact in South Korea, where people seemed the latest salvo and instead jams were more attention to holiday shopping and travel.

In homage to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il Thursday, the North Korea threatens official Korean Central News Agency "Holy war of Justice" to the South, based on a "nuclear deterrence." But the phrases - which came at the bottom of the statement - are not new.

North Korea has mentioned since November 1 "nuclear deterrence" in at least three other official statements. His Ambassador to Cuba at the end of August described the North willingness to fight a "holy war" with nuclear weapons. Two weeks earlier, urged the North news agency in two separate dispatches South Koreans unite to avoid leadership "Holy war" in the North.

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesman said p.j. Crowley Thursday, we need constructive actions, not heated rhetoric from Pyongyang.

Two military exercises carried out in South Korea criticizes North Korea's State-run media earlier on Thursday. A participating artillery fire in Pocheon driving range near the two border North of Seoul. Other stakeholders a handful of South Korean Navy ships off the southeastern coast.

Had promoted South Korean military artillery practice Wednesday, say it was the "biggest in winter" and increased due to the stresses to the North after its November 23 attack on the island's Yeonpyeong expanded been. But Thursday, officials said, they were surprised to receive from the global media coverage of the drills, and began to downplay it.

About 800 troops were in Monday's drill of the typical 500 to 600, said major Lee Sung-jun, an army spokesman involved. He said "Because of the tense situation with the North got too much attention from the media, this drill".

Major Lee said South Korea Army and air force practice almost every week and Thursday's drill was the 48th in Pocheon this year.

Drill long both South Korea of the North attack and subsequent voltage across the artillery test firing on Yeonpyeong earlier this week were planned major Lee said. The South Korean military keeps occasionally much larger drills, deal with tens of thousands of troops, extend for several days and occur at multiple bases throughout the country.

North Korea had threatened another attack if South Korea is weapons on Yeonpyeong, tested, near the two maritime border of the West coast of the countries. North Korea has denied to explain controlled border since the 1970s and its attack on Yeonpyeong claimed waters around the island, South Korea has operated long as his own.

South Korea's military not consider this week other drills, cancel, because you don't want the look that North Korea might influence create your education, a senior official said.

Write toEvan Ramstad at evan.ramstad@wsj.com

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