SEOUL, Feb 11, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol told his Marine Corps on Saturday to "act first, report later" if provoked, following an escalation of threats from North Korea. Nuclear-armed North Korea has this year declared South Korea its "principal enemy", closed agencies dedicated to reunification and outreach, and threatened war over "even 0.001 millimetres" of territorial infringement. In January, North Korea fired an artillery barrage near two South Korean border islands, prompting a live-fire drill by the South and evacuation orders for residents. Yoon said last week the "irrational" North Korean government was likely to carry out multiple provocations, including cyberattacks and drone intrusions, ahead of the South's election on April 10. North Korea has a long track record of provocations ahead of South Korean elections, experts say, part of its broader strategy to cause disruption south of the border.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha February 11, 2024 04:06 UTC