S Korea's president held an emergency meeting of her National Security Council and ordered a "stern response" [Reuters]
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered his frontline troops to be ready for war, against a backdrop of rising military tensions between his country and South Korea.

The announcement follows an exchange of artillery shells across the two countries' heavily fortified border.

The Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) is a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving the Korean Peninsula still technically in a state of war.

The North's official KCNA news agency said the move came during an emergency meeting late on Thursday of the powerful Central Military Commission of which Kim is the chairman.

Fault Lines: Hidden state - Inside North Korea

During the meeting, Kim ordered frontline, combined units of the Korean People's Army (KPA) to "enter a wartime state" from Friday 5pm local time (08:00 GMT).

The troops should be "fully battle ready to launch surprise operations" while the entire frontline should be placed in a "semi-war state," KCNA quoted him as saying.

The CMC meeting came hours after the two Koreas traded artillery fire on Thursday, leaving no apparent casualties but pushing already elevated cross-border tensions to dangerously high levels.

The KPA followed up with an ultimatum sent via military hotline that gave the South 48 hours to dismantle loudspeakers blasting propaganda messages across the border or face further military action.

The ultimatum expires on Saturday at 5pm.


The 1950-53 Korean War, which ended with an armistice, left the Korean Peninsula technically in a state of war [AP]
The South's defence ministry dismissed the threat and said the broadcasts would continue.

The CMC backed the army's ultimatum and also ratified plans for "a retaliatory strike and counterattack on the whole length of the front", KCNA said.

There was no immediate response from South Korea, but the unification ministry announced it was restricting access to the North-South's joint industrial zone at Kaesong.

Only South Koreans with direct business interests in Kaesong - which lies 10km over the border inside North Korea - would be allowed to travel there, a ministry spokesman said.

The Kaesong industrial estate hosts about 120 South Korean firms employing up to 53,000 North Korean workers and is a vital source of hard currency for the North.

Inside Story: North Korea - Challenges of a 'pariah state'

Restricting access will probably be seen as a thinly veiled threat by South Korea to shut the complex down completely if the situation at the border escalates further.

Thursday's artillery exchange in a western quarter of the border came amid heightened tensions following mine blasts that maimed two members of a South Korean border patrol earlier this month and the launch this week of a major South Korea-US military exercise that angered North Korea.

South Korea said the mines were placed by the North and responded by resuming propaganda broadcasts across the border, using loudspeakers that had remained silent for more than a decade.


New to Al Jazeera box 2 [Al Jazeera]
The South Korean military said the North side fired first on Thursday and that it retaliated with dozens of 155mm howitzer gun rounds.

South Korean troops were placed on maximum alert, while President Park Geun-hye chaired an emergency meeting of her National Security Council and ordered a "stern response" to any further provocations.

The CMC meeting in Pyongyang insisted that the situation would only de-escalate if South Korea turned off the propaganda loudspeakers.

The US and UN both said they were following the situation on the Korean peninsula with deep concern.

The US State Department urged North Korea to avoid provoking any further escalation and said it remained "steadfast" in its commitment to defending ally South Korea.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/08/north-korea-state-media-army-mobilised-150821003337584.html

Another wave of madness is sweeping through.

war against who?

World don dey end

Unlike the likes of nnamdi kalu and his people, deceiving themselves about biafra that can never be a reality.

North Korea need to get serious lol

Uniklinkum nigerianium missy89 gaborone idrismusty89

What is really wrong with this short people??

Uniklinkum nigerianium missy89 gaborone idrismusty89.

PROVACATEUR:
Uniklinkum nigerianium missy89 gaborone idrismusty89

No war is going to happen. Just another rant by the kid dictator. North Korea wants something else

The kid on another round of bluffing spree.

A war between the North and the South can break the fragile peace in the world. The US will come to the aid of South Korea while China might sit it out but they will be active participants through covert means.

Why al this now, all they know is war.

Missy89:


No war is going to happen. Just another rant by the kid dictator. North Korea wants something else

that kid wants to test his nuclear weapon on South Korea. China is fed up with that buffon but sees him as a necassary evil.

Lalasticlala Afam4eva let's move this biko to Fp

North Korea forcing its rougue relevance on international politics since time imo river

OZAOEKPE:
Unlike the likes of nnamdi kalu and his people, deceiving themselves about biafra that can never be a reality.

I beg you in the name of that thing you serve to kindly stay away from this thread with your ethnic talk.


Thanks

shay dem go show d war 4 NTA Shaybi city hunter go dey dat war too!! Nd jumong Make d war start fast fast!!!

PROVACATEUR:
I beg you in the name of that thing you serve to kindly stay away from this thread with your ethnic talk.


Thanks

May amadioha strike you to hell

PROVACATEUR:
that kid wants to test his nuclear weapon on South Korea. China is fed up with that buffon but sees him as a necassary evil.

NK wants a deal with the west without any pre conditions. Seems nobody cares

2prexios:
North Korea forcing its rougue relevance on international politics since time imo river

kim uses nuclear diplomacy to get aid from US and South Korea. This might be another venture to get aid from them. I pray they call his bluff this time around.

How is this a news worthy? not to talk of front page??

*waiting for d dumb mod dat will move this to fp..

PROVACATEUR:
kim uses nuclear diplomacy to get aid from US and South Korea. This might be another venture to get aid from them. I pray they call his bluff this time around.

He is full of tactics to hold the reins and keep his people in perpetual captivity. To do this, he must always awe them with his war propaganda and create a state of fright in his homeland to keep his relevence and notorious reputation as a leader.

SenselessGoat:
How is this a news worthy? not to talk of front page??

*waiting for d dumb mod dat will move this to fp..

Thanks for your input

Missy89:


No war is going to happen. Just another rant by the kid dictator. North Korea wants something else

nice post
the wouldn't go to war probably few more rockets

IbnSultaan:

nice post
the wouldn't go to war probably few more rockets

Even with huge stockpiles of rockets . NK Wont go to war with SK.

It's a natural instinct for Humans to turn against themselves since the days of Cain and Abel. The era of the Dinosaur came and gone, that of human will come and go, giving way for another specie to inhabit this planet and it will be awesome to witness it before my time in this world come to an end.

Missy89:

Even with huge stockpiles of rockets . NK Wont go to war with SK.

Kim lives by been paranoid his unstable but wldnt go to war

dunno what to say

IbnSultaan:

Kim lives by been paranoid
his unstable but wldnt go to war

Kim only needs food for his hungry countrymen. He has been known to threaten his neighbours with war because South Korea is powered by Gas and an artillery strike on South Korea will have a devastating effect.

Stelvin101:
It's a natural instinct for Humans to turn against themselves since the days of Cain and Abel. The era of the Dinosaur came and gone, that of human will come and go, giving way for another specie to inhabit this planet and it will be awesome to witness it before my time in this world come to an end.

Aporcalypse mindset.

Fat boy gets what he wants and no more shelling .

The U.S. and SK should send in the aids asap.