SEOUL: North Korea warned Tuesday that any accidental clash during an upcoming US-South Korea naval exercise could spark war, as tensions remained high over the sinking of a South Korean warship.

Minju Josun, the cabinet`s official daily, accused the South and its US ally of "fabricating" facts about the sinking to incite a war against the communist state.

"It is as clear as day that a small accident that might occur during the joint military exercise would easily spread to an armed clash and eventually, to an all-out war," it said, slamming the planned drill as provocative and dangerous.

The United States and South Korea are planning a special naval exercise as a show of strength in response to the sinking, which they blame on the North. No dates have been announced.

"If the US imperialists, gripped by their pipe dream of invading the North, ignite a new war on the Korean peninsula, our military and the people will wipe out not only the invaders but their strongholds as well and achieve a final triumph," the daily said.

South Korea, citing findings of a multinational investigation, last month accused its neighbour of sinking the corvette, the Cheonan, near the disputed border in March with the loss of 46 lives.

The South announced its own reprisals and also wants the United Nations Security Council to censure the North. The North has denied involvement in the sinking and threatened a military response to any UN action.

On Monday it vowed to strengthen its nuclear weaponry "in a newly developed way" in the face of what it termed US hostility.

The South meanwhile marked the anniversary of a 2002 naval clash near the Yellow Sea border, paying tribute to six of its sailors who died. An estimated 13 North Koreans were killed.

At a ceremony Prime Minister Chung Un-Chan also demanded that the North apologise for the sinking of the Cheonan.

Previous left-leaning Seoul governments kept the anniversary commemoration muted in an effort to improve ties. This year some 2,500 guests, including families of the dead, attended the ceremony.


BDST : 1113 HRS, 29 June, 2010
SIS