On the Brink of War? Tensions Heighten in Korea

Nov. 26, 2010— -- Tensions heightened in the Asia Pacific as North Korea fired more artillery shells within earshot of South Korea's Yeongpyeong Island, even as it warned that joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises could put the region on the brink of war.

China also expressed similar concerns about upcoming military drills before the scheduled weekend arrival of U.S. aircraft carrier USS George Washington.

The joint exercises in the Yellow Sea had been scheduled before tensions erupted in the region this week, and the U.S. administration vowed to go forward with them, even raising the possibility of conducting more exercises.

Gen. Walter Sharp, the U.S. commander in South Korea, toured Yeongpyeong Island Friday in a show of support as U.S. allies such as Japan denounced the North Korean attack, calling it "intolerable."

South Korean officials today blamed their neighbors for firing artilleries to "intentionally increase tensions," and the government canceled an aid shipment to the north that was about to be delivered from northern China.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak ordered more troops and advanced weaponry to the maritime border with North Korea, including the island that was hit, warning that another attack could be imminent. He called for more aggressive rules of engagement.

South Korea's defense minister resigned Thursday after what many said was too slow of a response to North Korean's firing. New defense minister Kim Kwang-Jin, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, vowed to "reform" and "strengthen" the military in a direct response to civilians who, while used to North Korean provocations, now feel it is time to go tough on their neighbor.

North Korea, in the meantime, upped its threats, saying it would respond to confrontation with more attacks. The state media called South Korean president Lee Myung-bak a "puppet" and charged that it would be naive to even consider holding a dialogue with him.

"Escalated confrontation would lead to a war, and he who is fond of playing with fire is bound to perish therein. Gone are the days when verbal warnings are served only," a newsreader for North Korean state TV KRT said in a report. "We will respond to good faith in kind but punish the provocateurs encroaching upon our dignity and sovereignty with resolute and merciless counter-action."