NK warns 'physical response' against South-US drills

NK warns 'physical response' against South-US drills

North Korea warned Friday there would be "physical response" to the planned joint naval exercises between South Korea and the United States and said it will not apologize for the sinking of a South Korean warship.

"There will be a physical response against the steps imposed by the United States militarily," said Ri Tong-il, spokesman for the North Korean delegation here for the ASEAN Regional Forum, in Hanoi, according to Yonhap News. "(The exercises are) another expression of hostile policy against the DPRK (North Korea).

"It's no longer the 19th century, which (maintained) the gunboat policy. It's a new century and Asian countries are in need of peace and development. And the DPRK is also moving to that end," he was quoted as saying.

Ri also said Pak Ui-chun, the North's foreign minister, made clear Pyongyang will not apologize for the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan when it was not yet clear who is responsible.

Meanwhile, Japan plans to send four military officers as observers to joint South Korea-U.S. military drills set to start next week off the Korean Peninsula's east coast, Yonhap reported.

South Korea and the U.S. are scheduled to launch four days of naval and air exercises on Sunday in a show of force against North Korea accused of torpedoing a South Korean warship in March that left 46 sailors dead.

"Four officers from Japan's Self Defense Forces will participate in the joint drills as observers," Yonhap News quoted an unidentified source as saying, adding that South Korea and the U.S. had invited them.

The Japanese officers will go on board the USS George Washington, the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier that will lead the maneuvers, the source said.

Code-named "Invincible Spirit," the drills will bring in some 20 ships and more than 200 aircraft, including four F-22 "Raptor" stealth fighters that will fly on training missions in and around South Korea for the first time.

About 8,000 service members and personnel from the two allies' army, air force, navy and marines have been called to the maneuvers, officials from both sides/ koreatimes