Guardian: North Korea said today that it was ready for war with the South, hours before Hillary Clinton's arrival in Seoul on the latest leg of her maiden tour as US secretary of state.
Pyongyang has ratcheted up its rhetoric in recent weeks and is thought to be preparing for a missile launch, in what many see as an attempt to grab the attention of the new US administration and put pressure on South Korea. It has hinted that it seeks a rapprochement with the US while repeatedly threatening its neighbour.
"[The South Korean president's] group of traitors should never forget that the [North] Korean People's Army is fully ready for an all-out confrontation," the North's KCNA news agency said, quoting an unnamed military official.
It added that the country could be forced to counter-strike against joint US-South Korean military drills announced yesterday, which Seoul and Washington say are defensive.
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