South Korea stands firm as tension rises with North

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SEOUL, Nov 23 (Reuters): South Korea made clear on Sunday it will not back down in mounting tensions with North Korea, which has threatened to shut their heavily armed border next week over what it sees as Seoul's antagonistic approach to relations.
North Korea has responded with relentless diatribes since conservative President Lee Myung-bak took office in February promising to invest heavily in the North only if Pyongyang moved to disable its nuclear weapons program, bringing an end to a decade of unconditional aid from the South.
His comments follow a fresh verbal assault of his government by the North which said on Saturday it would "respond decisively" to Seoul's anti-Pyongyang policy.