North Korea Warns of Nuclear War 'at Any Moment'

February 20, 2003

North Korea has warned the situation on its divided peninsula is so alarming that a nuclear war may break out at any moment.

The warning came just hours after one of its fighter jets briefly crossed into South Korea, but retreated after being confronted by two southern jets.

The provocation prompted military commanders in the South Korean capital Seoul to put an anti-aircraft missile unit into battle position.

The North threatened only days ago to abandon the armistice keeping peace along the countries' tense border. The incursion is the first by a North Korean military jet since 1983.

South Korean spokesman, Brigadier General Hwang Young-soo, warned the incursion "could result in very serious consequences in the current situation on the Korean Peninsula."

KCNA, the North's state news agency and a mouthpiece of the regime, said the situation on the peninsula was now "so alarming that a nuclear war may break out at any moment."

The North Korean MiG-19 jet fighter crossed the western sea border and flew almost eight miles into Southern airspace before heading back into communist territory two minutes later.

A South Korea anti-aircraft missile unit near Incheon, a seaport west of Seoul, went into battle position.

At the same time, two South Korean F-5E jets tried to intercept the intruder. Later, four more South Korean F-5E jets were deployed to the area.

The North does not recognise the so-called Northern Limit Line maritime border that was drawn up by the US-led UN Command after the Korean War.

© Associated Press
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