N. Korea Threatens South With ‘Sea of Fire’

South Korean Marines take part in a a military exercise marking the first anniversary of North Korea's artillery attacks on Yeonpyeong Island, at the Pyeonghwa (Peace) Park on the island on November 23, 2011. (Kim Jae-Myung/AFP/Getty Images)

North Korea on Thursday threatened South Korea again by saying it would reduce President Lee Myung-bak’s office to a “sea of fire,” local media have reported.

The Korea Herald reported that the state-run North Korean Central Television station was warning residents that the United States and South Korea are “getting ready to stage a new nuclear war against North Korea by organizing the Extended Deterrence Policy Committee for a pre-emptive strike.”

South Korea held military training drills near Yeonpyeong Island, marking the anniversary when the North attacked the island last year, according to the Korea Times. Also, around two weeks ago, the United States and the South held joint military training exercises.

Reacting to the drills, the North warned the South that it would wage a “decisive battle to counter any military provocation,” according to the Times.

Last year’s attack on Yeonpyeong, that left four dead, was denounced by both Washington and Seoul. It was the first attack on a civilian area since the Korean War effectively ended in 1953.