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| Alert level raised on North Korea | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| South Korean and US troops have gone on higher alert after North Korea announced it is scrapping the armistice in force on the peninsula. | |
| Seoul's defence ministry said the "Combined Forces Command upgraded Watch Conditions by a notch to Stage Two". | |
| US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says North Korea will face consequences for its "provocative and belligerent" actions towards its neighbours. | US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says North Korea will face consequences for its "provocative and belligerent" actions towards its neighbours. |
| The UN Security Council is discussing a response to North Korea's nuclear test. | |
| "Surveillance over the North will be stepped up, with more aircraft and personnel mobilised," Seoul's defence ministry spokesman Won Tae-Jae told AFP news agency. | |
| Meanwhile, Mrs Clinton has reaffirmed US commitments to allies Japan and South Korea. | |
| Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that while world powers should be firm, they should not inflame tensions. | Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that while world powers should be firm, they should not inflame tensions. |
| He said they needed to avoid punishment "for the sake of punishment" alone. | He said they needed to avoid punishment "for the sake of punishment" alone. |
| On Wednesday, North Korea said it had abandoned the truce that ended the Korean war, two days after it conducted an underground nuclear test. | On Wednesday, North Korea said it had abandoned the truce that ended the Korean war, two days after it conducted an underground nuclear test. |
| Mrs Clinton: 'North Korea continues to act in a provocative and belligerent manner' | |
| It blamed its decision on South Korea joining a US-led initiative to search ships for nuclear weapons, calling it a "declaration of war". | It blamed its decision on South Korea joining a US-led initiative to search ships for nuclear weapons, calling it a "declaration of war". |
| The United Nations Security Council is working on a strong resolution condemning North Korea's actions, including possible punitive measures. | The United Nations Security Council is working on a strong resolution condemning North Korea's actions, including possible punitive measures. |
| 'Sabre-rattling' | 'Sabre-rattling' |
| The White House accused North Korea of seeking attention. | The White House accused North Korea of seeking attention. |
| Factfile: Underground testing Your views: Should world worry? Reaction from around the region Media condemn nuclear test The Korean war N Korea's missile programme | Factfile: Underground testing Your views: Should world worry? Reaction from around the region Media condemn nuclear test The Korean war N Korea's missile programme |
| "We're certainly concerned and take any threat seriously, but my sense is they're trying to get renewed attention through sabre-rattling and bluster and threats," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. | "We're certainly concerned and take any threat seriously, but my sense is they're trying to get renewed attention through sabre-rattling and bluster and threats," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. |
| Mrs Clinton condemned the North's violation of UN Security Council resolutions and commitments made during six-nation nuclear disarmament talks. | Mrs Clinton condemned the North's violation of UN Security Council resolutions and commitments made during six-nation nuclear disarmament talks. |
| "North Korea has made a choice... There are consequences to such actions," she said, but also held out hope that North Korea would return to talks. | "North Korea has made a choice... There are consequences to such actions," she said, but also held out hope that North Korea would return to talks. |
| "There will be an opportunity for North Korea to come back into a framework of discussion within the six-party process and that we can begin once again to see results from working with the North Koreans toward denuclearisation," she told reporters in Washington. | "There will be an opportunity for North Korea to come back into a framework of discussion within the six-party process and that we can begin once again to see results from working with the North Koreans toward denuclearisation," she told reporters in Washington. |
| Mrs Clinton said she was pleased by a unified international condemnation of North Korea that included Russia and China, North Korea's only major ally. | Mrs Clinton said she was pleased by a unified international condemnation of North Korea that included Russia and China, North Korea's only major ally. |
| Earlier Russia's foreign minister called for a strong UN resolution to condemn Monday's nuclear test, but said the stand-off could only be solved through talks. | Earlier Russia's foreign minister called for a strong UN resolution to condemn Monday's nuclear test, but said the stand-off could only be solved through talks. |
| "I repeat again, we must stand up for the non-proliferation regime and at the same time we must not forget that problems can be resolved only through talks," Mr Lavrov said. | "I repeat again, we must stand up for the non-proliferation regime and at the same time we must not forget that problems can be resolved only through talks," Mr Lavrov said. |
| Diplomats from the five permanent Security Council member countries - plus Japan and South Korea - have been meeting behind closed doors to agree a new resolution against North Korea. | Diplomats from the five permanent Security Council member countries - plus Japan and South Korea - have been meeting behind closed doors to agree a new resolution against North Korea. |
| 'War declaration' | 'War declaration' |
| On Monday, North Korea fanned tensions in the Korean peninsula by conducting a powerful underground nuclear test. | On Monday, North Korea fanned tensions in the Korean peninsula by conducting a powerful underground nuclear test. |
| NUCLEAR CRISIS Oct 2006 - North Korea conducts an underground nuclear testFeb 2007 - North Korea agrees to close its main nuclear reactor in exchange for fuel aidJune 2008 - North Korea makes its long-awaited declaration of nuclear assetsOct 2008 - The US removes North Korea from its list of countries which sponsor terrorismDec 2008 - Pyongyang slows work to dismantle reactor after a US decision to suspend energy aidJan 2009 - The North says it is scrapping all deals with the South, accusing it of "hostile intent"April 2009 - Pyongyang launches a rocket carrying what it says is a communications satellite25 May 2009 - North Korea conducts a second nuclear test Q&A: North Korea nuclear test What is N Korea's game plan? | NUCLEAR CRISIS Oct 2006 - North Korea conducts an underground nuclear testFeb 2007 - North Korea agrees to close its main nuclear reactor in exchange for fuel aidJune 2008 - North Korea makes its long-awaited declaration of nuclear assetsOct 2008 - The US removes North Korea from its list of countries which sponsor terrorismDec 2008 - Pyongyang slows work to dismantle reactor after a US decision to suspend energy aidJan 2009 - The North says it is scrapping all deals with the South, accusing it of "hostile intent"April 2009 - Pyongyang launches a rocket carrying what it says is a communications satellite25 May 2009 - North Korea conducts a second nuclear test Q&A: North Korea nuclear test What is N Korea's game plan? |
| It has also fired six short-range missiles in recent days. | It has also fired six short-range missiles in recent days. |
| Then on Wednesday, it said that it no longer considered itself bound by the terms of a truce which ended the war between the two Koreas. | Then on Wednesday, it said that it no longer considered itself bound by the terms of a truce which ended the war between the two Koreas. |
| That agreement has preserved a tense peace for more than five decades. | That agreement has preserved a tense peace for more than five decades. |
| In a statement to the North's official news agency, KCNA, the military said its actions followed South Korea's announcement on Tuesday that it would definitely join the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) - a US-led campaign to search ships carrying suspicious cargoes to prevent trafficking of weapons of mass destruction. | In a statement to the North's official news agency, KCNA, the military said its actions followed South Korea's announcement on Tuesday that it would definitely join the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) - a US-led campaign to search ships carrying suspicious cargoes to prevent trafficking of weapons of mass destruction. |
| "Any hostile act against our peaceful vessels, including search and seizure, will be considered an unpardonable infringement on our sovereignty," a spokesman for the North's army told KCNA. | "Any hostile act against our peaceful vessels, including search and seizure, will be considered an unpardonable infringement on our sovereignty," a spokesman for the North's army told KCNA. |
| "We will immediately respond with a powerful military strike." | "We will immediately respond with a powerful military strike." |
| Last month North Korea launched a long-range rocket over Japanese airspace, angering the international community. Pyongyang said the rocket carried a satellite, but several nations viewed it as cover for a missile test. | Last month North Korea launched a long-range rocket over Japanese airspace, angering the international community. Pyongyang said the rocket carried a satellite, but several nations viewed it as cover for a missile test. |
| The UN Security Council condemned the rocket launch, and in retaliation, North Korea announced it was quitting long-running six-nation negotiations on its nuclear disarmament. | The UN Security Council condemned the rocket launch, and in retaliation, North Korea announced it was quitting long-running six-nation negotiations on its nuclear disarmament. |
| It also said it would reopen its main nuclear plant at Yongbyon, which was closed in July 2007 as part of a disarmament deal. | It also said it would reopen its main nuclear plant at Yongbyon, which was closed in July 2007 as part of a disarmament deal. |
| A few years ago there was real hope of reaching a settlement, when North Korea agreed in February 2007 to abandon its nuclear ambitions in return for aid and diplomatic concessions. | A few years ago there was real hope of reaching a settlement, when North Korea agreed in February 2007 to abandon its nuclear ambitions in return for aid and diplomatic concessions. |
| But the negotiations stalled as it accused its negotiating partners - the US, South Korea, Japan, China and Russia - of failing to meet agreed obligations. | But the negotiations stalled as it accused its negotiating partners - the US, South Korea, Japan, China and Russia - of failing to meet agreed obligations. |