N. Korea Threatens to Shoot Propaganda Loudspeakers

North Korea threatened Monday to shoot South Korean propaganda loudspeakers if Seoul resumes “psychological warfare” against Pyongyang.

A commander of the North’s central forces said in a public statement carried by North Korean media, “If South Korea sets up a new instrument for psychological warfare, we will aim at it and shoot it down. If it challenges our legitimate response, it will face severe physical damage.”

The South announced Monday that it will resume sending propaganda messages via loudspeakers across the inter-Korean border for the first time in six years.

At the opening of the second U.S.-China strategic and economic dialogue in Beijing the same day, Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo said, without direct reference to North Korea and Iran, “China is opposed to any attempt that causes tension. Any attempt to instigate conflict or trigger a hot or cold war will not be welcomed in today’s world.”

In Japan, a Security Council meeting in the afternoon chaired by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama expressed strong support for referring the Cheonan sinking to the U.N. Security Council.

kyle@donga.com bonhong@donga.com