S Korea beefs up maritime defences against North

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A North Korean navy patrol boat is seen amongst North Korean fishing boats in South Korea-controlled Yeonpyeong island near the disputed waters of the Yellow Sea. — AFP

SEOUL, June 2 (AFP): South Korea's navy bolstered its defences near the tense sea border with North Korea, sending in a high-speed patrol boat armed with guided missiles and vowing to "punish" any attacking forces.
Compared with North Korean vessels, the South Korean ship "is armed with overwhelming fire power," a naval spokesman told reporters.
The South Korean navy will "punish immediately" any North Korean forces attempting provocative acts in the area, he said.
The North is reported to have stepped up naval drills near the western maritime border-the site of deadly skirmishes between the two Koreas in 1999 and 2002 -- after threatening to attack the South.
Pyongyang has warned of "self-defence measures" in response to any tougher international sanctions for last week's nuclear test, and US and South Korean officials say it appears to be preparing to test-fire a long-range missile.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported Tuesday that the North also seems to be preparing to test-fire a medium-range missile from its southeast coast.
It said the missile was believed to be a Rodong with a range of 1,300 kilometres or a new medium-range missile with a range of 3,000 kilometres.
Tensions have been running high since Kim Jong-Il's regime tested a nuclear bomb for the second time on May 25. It then launched a series of short-range missiles and renounced the truce that ended the Korean war in 1953.
South Korean and Southeast Asian leaders Tuesday condemned the North's nuclear test as they wrapped up a summit on the southern resort island of Jeju.
President Lee Myung-Bak and the 10 ASEAN leaders in a statement said the test and recent missile launches were "clear violations" of UN Security Council resolutions and a multi-nation nuclear disarmament pact.
Reports of the nomination come with South Korean and US forces on the peninsula on heightened alert after the North threatened an attack when Seoul joined a US-led initiative to stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction.
North Korea's military has reportedly been using high-speed boats for landing exercises near the western border, which Pyongyang wants to be drawn further south.
ASEAN Washington warned North Korea Monday not to fire a long-range missile, saying it would further worsen tensions.