South Korea's Lee says talks the answer to nuclear crisis

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea's president has urged negotiations to tackle the peninsula's nuclear crisis but analysts say chances of international talks are slim because of deep divisions and a lack of pressure on the emboldened North.
Lee Myung-bak, who has vowed a tough stance against any further attack by the North, also called on Wednesday for fresh dialogue between the rival Koreas, saying a hardline military policy alone by the South would not ease tension.
Six-party talks aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear work, which the North walked out of two years ago, were the only forum to end the programme in return for aid and diplomatic recognition, Lee said at a Foreign Ministry policy briefing.
"I think removal of the North Korea nuclear programmes should be achieved through six-party talks next year," he said.
But analysts say they doubt that can be done, given that the North has no reason to make big concessions.
There may be meetings between countries involved in the six-way talks, but for North Korea "denuclearization" -- the original purpose of talks involving the two Koreas, China, the United States, Russia and Japan -- is out of the question, they say.
"There could be some sort of alternative process in 2011 but it is hard to say. There is a lot of pessimism about North Korea right now," said Scott Snyder, an expert on U.S-Korea relations at the Asia Foundation.
A meeting between North and South Korea, backed by the United States, could be an option to kick off a diplomatic process although chances of success were low, he said.
Like the United States, South Korea has signaled that it is loath to restart the diplomatic process unless its reclusive neighbor shows steps toward dismantling its nuclear programme.
The United States will not be keen for involvement in talks aimed at sending in nuclear inspectors as it wants the removal, not the monitoring, of North Korea's atomic work.
It also wants China, the North's main ally and economic backer, to do more to rein in Pyongyang, but China has called for a restart of the six-party talks without preconditions.
RESTRICTIONS, REWARDS
Uranium enrichment work revealed last month could give North Korea, which conducted nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009, a second route to an atomic bomb, in addition to its plutonium programme.
Washington is expected to voice such concerns when Chinese President Hu Jintao visits the United States on January 19.
North Korea attacked the southern island of Yeonpyeong on November 23, killing four people. The United States and South Korea also blamed it for sinking a South Korean naval vessel in March, killing 46 sailors.
The North has increased air force drills by 150 percent in December compared with last year, despite fuel shortages, in response to the heightened tension, JoongAng Daily reported on Wednesday, citing a South Korean military source.
Another analyst said the North's recent hostile acts were aimed at pushing countries back into talks at which it could win aid.
"They are willing to talk about restrictions of their nuclear programme, and they might be willing to accept certain restrictions if the rewards are sufficiently high," said Andrei Lankov at Kookmin University in Seoul.
Others say the aggression is motivated by issues related to the North's leadership succession.
"I see things being internally driven, not from vulnerability but in terms of making Kim Jong-un earn his stars, of smoothing the succession," said Peter Beck, a Korean affairs expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, referring to the son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.
He said preparation for the succession appeared essential ahead of 2012, the 100th anniversary of the birth of state founder Kim Il-sung, the young heir's grandfather.
North Korea has said it wants to build a "great and prosperous nation" by then and the nuclear programme would be a key element of that vision.
"This is part of their identity, one of their few accomplishments in recent years. They attach far too much value to the programme to bargain it away right now," Beck said.
While urging negotiations, Lee also said South Korea must not let down its military guard.
"Ensuring peace on the Korea peninsula is an important task going forward but this can't be done with diplomacy only," he said.
Lee has come under pressure domestically for what was seen as a weak response to the attack on Yeonpyeong island.
Last week, he vowed "a merciless counterattack" against any new North Korean assault as the South Korean army held rare large-scale military drills near the border in a demonstration of military might. (Additional reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Related articles

• South Korea calls for disarmament progress next year (ctv.ca)
• N. Korean nuclear issue to be solved only through six-party talks - S. Korea (rt.com)
• South Korea Calls for Urgency in North Korean Disarmament (foxnews.com)
• Analysts: NKorean provocations to increase in 2011 (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• War Among the Koreans (lewrockwell.com)
• South Korean "Provocation?" Statements Says It's Preparing for Unification With the North (themoderatevoice.com)
• S. Korea Calls to Urgently Disarm North's Nukes (foxnews.com)
• South Korea vows retaliation if North attacks again (theglobeandmail.com)
• South Korea's Lee calls for solidarity against North (reuters.com)
• North Korea praises 'iron-willed commander' Kim Jong Il (ctv.ca)

SKorea holds massive new drills after North attack

SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea vowed Wednesday to "completely punish" North Korea if it attacks again, and mobilized hundreds of troops, tanks and helicopters for a massive military exercise prompted by high tensions on the peninsula.
The firing drills planned for Thursday near the Koreas' heavily armed land border signaled that South Korea is willing to risk further escalating tensions with North Korea, which shelled a southern island off the western coast on Nov. 23 and stirred up a war-like atmosphere.
The attack, which killed four people, was portrayed by Pyongyang as a retaliation for southern military exercises on Yeonpyeong island that day.
South Korea has conducted 47 similar military drills this year, and it scheduled one more exercise for Thursday in response to the North Korean attack, an army officer said on condition of anonymity citing department rules. Thursday's drill will be the biggest-ever wintertime joint firing exercise that South Korea's army and air force have staged, an army statement said.
"We will completely punish the enemy if it provokes us again like the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island," Brig. Gen. Ju Eun-sik, chief of the army's 1st armored brigade, said separately.
South Korean forces are on high alert even though the North backed down from its threat to again retaliate over a separate firing drill the South held Monday on Yeonpyeong in disputed western waters.
The two Koreas remain technically at war since their 1950s conflict ended in a cease-fire, not a peace treaty. The past month's military tension, however, has been the worst in several years.
The North has made conciliatory remarks in recent days — telling a visiting U.S. governor it might allow international inspections of its nuclear programs — but Seoul is mindful of past surprise attacks and still is bracing for possible aggression.
South Korea's navy also began annual four-day firing and anti-submarine exercises Wednesday off the country's eastern coast. That area has been less tense recently but in the past, the North has used eastern waters as a submarine route for communist agents to infiltrate South Korea.
The Koreas' recent military skirmishes, including last month's artillery bombardment, have been in the tense western waters, where Pyongyang does not recognize the U.N.-drawn border.
Thursday's air force and army drills will involve 800 troops, F-15K and KF-16 jet fighters, K-1 tanks, AH-1S attack helicopters and K-9 self-propelled guns. They will take place in Pocheon, about 30 miles (45 kilometers) north of Seoul and about 21 miles (33 kilometers) south of the North Korean border.
Seoul has relocated more artillery on Yeonpyeong island following last month's shelling and plans to deploy Israeli-made Spike missiles there soon, Yonhap news agency reported, citing an unidentified military official. The Joint Chiefs of Staff declined to confirm the report.
North Korea, meanwhile, indicated to visiting New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson that it was prepared to consider ways to work with the South on restoring security along the border.
Richardson praised Pyongyang for refraining from retaliation and said his visit to the North provided an opening for a resumption of negotiations aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear program. North Korea pulled out of six-nation talks to provide Pyongyang with aid in exchange for disarmament in April 2009, but since has said it is willing to resume them.
The White House, however, rejected the idea, saying Pyongyang needed to change its "belligerent" behavior first and was not "even remotely ready" for negotiations.
In Seoul, a senior South Korean government official said the military would remain prepared for the possibility of a "surprise" attack in coming days. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Separately, about 200 South Koreans attended a candlelight vigil Wednesday evening for the four South Koreans killed by North Korea's attack on the Yeonpyeong.
They observed a moment of silence and placed flowers on a makeshift mourning site in central Seoul. "We, the survivors, should remember their sacrifice and make efforts to ensure that their sacrifice will not be in vain," said Choi Hong-jae, a 42-year-old executive.
___
Associated Press writers Jean H. Lee, Foster Klug and Kim Kwang-tae in Seoul, Lee Jin-man in Gimpo, South Korea, and Mark S. Smith in Washington contributed to this report.

Related articles

• S.Korea readies major military drill near tense border (theprovince.com)
• South Korea vows to 'punish the enemy' as it prepares for new military drills (guardian.co.uk)
• South Korea says it will hold large live-fire drills Thursday (cnn.com)
• South Korea prepares to stage firing drills near border (independent.co.uk)
• New South Korean drills near land border keep tensions high (theglobeandmail.com)
• South Korea prepares for new drills near land border (ctv.ca)
• SKorea to stage firing drills near land border (foxnews.com)
• SKorea to Stage Firing Drills Near Land Border (abcnews.go.com)
• SKorea holds massive new drills after North attack (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• South Korea to stage largest ever live-fire drill near border (telegraph.co.uk)

U.N. council meets as North Korea raises the alert

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The U.N. Security Council met in emergency session on Sunday to try to cool tensions on the Korean peninsula as North Korea's military was reported to have raised an alert for artillery units along its west coast.
Pyongyang's move, the latest in a growing crisis between the two Koreas, came ahead of a planned live-fire drill by the South, Yonhap news agency said, quoting a government source.
Bad weather had so far delayed the South's planned firing drill at a disputed border that has enraged Pyongyang.
The standoff between the two countries has raised international concern that their spat could quickly spiral out of control. Both sides have said they will use military means to defend what they say is their territory off the west coast.
"We understand that there's been an upgrade in alert at artillery units," Yonhap quoted the South Korean government source as saying. South Korea's defense ministry offered no immediate comment.
China and Russia have called on both Koreas to avoid actions that could inflame tensions. Washington has backed Seoul's push to go ahead with the planned live-fire drill on Yeonpyeong island, where four South Koreans were killed in an artillery attack last month.
SOUTH SCHEDULED DRILL BEFORE TUESDAY
The drill, within view of the North Korean mainland, is scheduled to take place sometime before Tuesday.
Underlining international concerns, the Security Council will seek a way out of the crisis -- described as "extremely precarious" and a "tinderbox" by U.S. and Chinese officials.
"We believe that the Security Council must send a restraining signal to the Republic of Korea and DPRK (North) and help launch diplomatic activity with a view to resolving all issues of dispute between the two Korean sides by political and diplomatic means," said Vitaly Churkin, Russia's U.N. envoy.
The council meeting began with closed-door consultations that diplomats hoped could lead to some kind of statement to help ease tensions. Recent Western attempts to get the Security Council to rebuke Pyongyang over a deadly artillery shelling incident last month and its nuclear program have been blocked by China, a veto-wielding permanent council member.
North Korea has called the artillery fire drill by the South a suicidal war move that would trigger all-out conflict on peninsula and said it would strike back in self-defense.
The South has said if it was attacked in the same manner as last month, it would hit back hard with air power and bombs.
Analysts were skeptical the North would carry through with its threats to hit the South even harder than last month's bombardment if shells landed in its territory again.
The North will likely respond by holding a live-fire drill on its side of the tensely guarded sea border, if the South goes ahead with its exercise, analysts said.
BAD WEATHER STALLS DRILL
Weather conditions worsened on the normally sleepy island, which has been largely abandoned by residents after the November 23 attack.
The South Korean government, widely criticized at home for its perceived weak response to the shelling of the island, remained determined to carry out the exercise despite calls to reconsider.
"There is no plan to cancel the exercise. The factor we're looking at is the weather condition," a Defense Ministry official said on the condition of anonymity.
South Korean marines plan to test artillery firing from the island targeting its territorial waters to its southwest, the same type of exercise that North Korea last month called an attack and prompted its shelling of the island.
Concern mounted on the island among the few residents who remained, and anticipation was growing that the drill would take place on Monday.
"I see they have to do what they have to do, but the people here want peace and quiet," Dan Choon-nam said, after a tearful church service. "We want things to be back to how they were."
U.S. troubleshooter Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico who is on a private mission to Pyongyang, said he had made some progress in his discussions with officials there.
He told CNN he did not get a firm answer on whether North Korea would physically strike the South again, but added: "It's still very tense out there."
"They said there would be a response, but at the same time they hope a U.N. Security Council resolution would tamp down the situation. It was very clear they were very upset by the potential exercise," Richardson told CNN from Pyongyang.
North Korea continued with a blistering assault on the South and the United States at the weekend, accusing Seoul of conspiring with Washington to create hostility against it.
The North's foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement: "We will be sure to settle scores with the U.S. for the extreme situation on the Korean peninsula. Our military does not speak empty words."
(Additional reporting by Kim Do-gyun in Yeonpyeong, Chris Buckley in Beijing; Writing by Jack Kim and Patrick Worsnip; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

Related articles

• North Korea raises alert before U.N. meeting (thehimalayantimes.com)
• North Korea raises military alert ahead of South Korean drill: report (windsorstar.com)
• Korean tensions high as U.N. meets (cnn.com)
• North Korea raises alert ahead of U.N. meeting: report (calgaryherald.com)
• Korean tensions high as U.N. meets - CNN International (news.google.com)
• Korean tensions high as UN meets - CNN International (news.google.com)
• UN Security Council holds emergency meeting on Korea tensions (theglobeandmail.com)
• UN Security Council holds emergency meeting on Korea tensions - Globe and Mail (news.google.com)
• Korean tensions high as U.N. meets (edition.cnn.com)
• UN holds emergency meeting on Korea crisis (nationalpost.com)

South Korea raises rhetoric against the North

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea on Friday threatened to bomb North Korea if it tries a repeat of last week's attack, raising its rhetoric after the United States warned of an "immediate threat" from Pyongyang.
Kim Kwan-jin, a retired general, was speaking at a parliamentary meeting confirming him as new defense minister, a day after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said North Korea threatened the region and the world.
"If there are further provocations, we will definitely use aircraft to bomb North Korea," Kim said when asked how he would respond to another attack after last week's North Korean bombardment of an island near their disputed border, killing two South Korean marines and two civilians.
The North alone has more than 5,000 multiple-launch rockets pointed at the capital Seoul which, with its satellite cities, is home to some 25 million people. South Korea has about 490 combat aircraft.
For nearly 60 years, the two Koreas have faced each other across one of the world's most heavily armed borders. They have never signed a peace treaty to end the 1950-53 Korean War.
Recent opinion polls show that most South Koreans think Seoul should have retaliated with more venom last week, prompting an increase in tough rhetoric from the government.
But, in a sign any escalation was being kept in check, a joint industrial complex shared by the two Koreas in the North was still operating, with 200 South Koreans crossing the border on Friday.
And North Korea's sharp rhetoric has noticeably waned over the past two days.
The foreign ministers of the United States, Japan and South Korea, long-time allies, meet in Washington on Monday to discuss North Korea.
North Korean ally China, pushing for an emergency meeting of the six countries involved in denuclearization talks, is not going. That means the discussions in Washington have little chance of breaking the impasse within the international community on a common approach to deal with the mounting tension on the Korean peninsula.
Defense Minister Kim said the attack led to the most serious crisis since the Korean War, but he saw little chance strong retaliation from the South would lead to a full-blown war.
"It will also be difficult for North Korea to conduct a full-scale war because there are some elements of insecurity in the country, such as the national economy and power transfer."
South Korea's foreign ministry said a joint statement criticizing North Korea's attack was being prepared. Japan's Mainichi newspaper said it would call on North Korea to stop provocative actions and enrichment of uranium -- a second way for it to produce material for nuclear weapons.
U.S. and Japanese forces began maneuvers on Friday, adding to tension. The exercises will involve about 44,500 personnel.
Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa described the maneuvers as "normal training" held every two years.
"This is not something that is targeted at any particular country."
Clinton said North Korea posed an immediate threat to the region, particularly South Korea and Japan.
"It poses a medium-term threat if it were to collapse to China, because of refugees and other instability. And it poses a long-term threat to the entire world, because of its nuclear program, and its export of weapons around the world," she said in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, according to a transcript released by the State Department.
Later, speaking in Manama, she said North Korea and Iran could both spark a regional arms race through their pursuit of illicit nuclear programs.
The United States has been pushing China, North Korea's only major ally, to bring the reclusive country to heel. China has refused to blame North Korea for last week's attack, or for the earlier sinking of a South Korean naval vessel. A team of international investigators said the North torpedoed the ship.
China, which said it would not play favorites in the dispute, has proposed emergency talks of the two Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States. Only Russia has given its support.
(Writing by Nick Macfie; Additional reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka in Tokyo, editing by Jonathan Thatcher)

Related articles

• S.Korea 'will bomb North' if attacked again (calgaryherald.com)
• South Korea: We'll bomb the North if provoked (msnbc.msn.com)
• South Korea's defense minister vows airstrikes if North attacks (cnn.com)
• South Korea "will bomb North" if attacked again (thehimalayantimes.com)
• Incoming S. Korea defence chief vows tough military policy (ctv.ca)
• SKorean jets will bomb North if it attacks again (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• South Korea warns it ‘will bomb North’ if attacked again (theglobeandmail.com)
• SKorea Defense Nominee Vows to Strike North (time.com)
• S. Korea vows airstrike if North attacks again (cbc.ca)
• South Korea's New Defense Chief Threatens Air Strikes on North (businessweek.com)

China says North Korea ties survived "tempests"

SEOUL (Reuters) – China, pushed again by Washington to bring North Korea to heel after last week's artillery attack on the South, told Pyongyang their relationship had withstood international "tempests."
On Wednesday, South Korea's spy chief said it was highly likely the isolated North would attack its wealthy neighbor again. Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said last week's bombardment threatened the stability of the region, home to three of Asia's biggest economies.
China has refused to blame its ally for shelling the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong, which destroyed dozens of houses and killed four people, or for the sinking of a South Korean naval vessel in March.
"The traditional friendship of China and North Korea has withstood the tests of international tempests and changes and replenished itself over time," Wu Bangguo, China's chief legislator, told a visiting North Korean delegation, China's main official newspaper, the People's Daily, reported on Thursday.
None of Wu's published remarks mentioned the recent confrontation between North and South Korea, or the long-running dispute over North Korea's nuclear activities.
Both Beijing and Pyongyang were committed to "strengthening strategic communication" and economic cooperation, said Wu.
China, which said it would not play favorites in the dispute, has proposed emergency talks of the six countries -- the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States -- involved in North Korean denuclearization talks.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said Moscow had expressed support for emergency consultations and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said in a CNN interview that continued dialogue was "in Russia's interests."
"Those who brandish weapons are seen to be justified, yet China is criticized for calling for talks. Is that justified?" Jiang said at a regular news briefing.
"I also want to say that emergency consultations are not a return to official six-party talks and should therefore not constitute a problem for the relevant parties," she added.
South Korea said again on Thursday now was not the time for talks.
The foreign ministers of the United States, Japan and South Korea are to meet in Washington on Monday to discuss North Korea. China is not included.
Chinese spokeswoman Jiang gave a cautious welcome to that meeting.
"We are paying close attention as to what this meeting is actually for," Jiang said in a statement on the Foreign Ministry's website (www.mfa.gov.cn)
"As the situation on the Korean Peninsular is highly complicated and sensitive, we expect the meeting to ease tensions and promote dialogue, rather than heighten tensions and intensify confrontation," she added.
The director of the National Intelligence Service, Won Sei-hoon, told a parliamentary committee meeting the North was likely to attack again once a U.S. flotilla, led by a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, had left the region after military maneuvers with the South.
PICTURES SHOW DAMAGE FROM SOUTH'S RESPONSE
South Korea responded to North Korea's attack on Yeonpyeong minutes later with 80 shells, and the military said some of the shells had hit a barracks possibly causing "multiple casualties," Yonhap news agency reported.
"Satellite images show our shells landed on a cluster of barracks in North Korea, so we presume there have been many casualties and considerable property damage," it quoted a senior official at the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
Won revealed satellite pictures to a closed-door parliament session that showed one North Korean artillery base hit by 10 or so shells, including one that landed on the barracks, Yonhap news agency said.
An earlier image released by a U.S. commercial satellite company showed a dozen or so shells had missed what appeared to be a North Korean artillery base inland and exploded on abandoned land.
Currency markets briefly wobbled on specific reports of another attack before the end of the year, but South Korean stocks and the won were higher. North Korea makes threats against the South on an almost daily basis.
Admiral Mullen said China's push for new talks was no substitute for action.
"Beijing's call for consultations will not substitute for action and I do not believe we should continue to reward North Korea's provocative and destabilizing behavior with bargaining or new incentives," he said in a speech. "China is uniquely placed to guide North Korea to a less dangerous place."
Some analysts say the attack was Pyongyang's attempt to force the resumption of international negotiations that could bring it aid. Others saw it as an attempt to boost the military credentials of the country's leader-in-waiting, Kim Jong-un, the youngest son of ailing leader Kim Jong-il.
Six-party talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear program were suspended in December 2008 after North Korea walked out.
The United States and South Korea wrapped up the four-day naval exercise on Wednesday. Japan's Defense Ministry said South Korean military personnel will observe for the first time an annual U.S.-Japan joint military drill which starts on Friday.
(Writing by Nick Macfie; additional reporting by Chris Buckley, Ben Blanchard and Michael Martina in Beijing and Yoko Kubota and Kiyoshi Takenaka in Tokyo; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)

Related articles

• China says North Korea ties survived "tempests" (reuters.com)
• Chinese relationship with North Korea 'has withstood tempests' (guardian.co.uk)
• China says North Korea ties have survived "tempest" (thehimalayantimes.com)
• SKoreans dismissed intel North might attack island (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• North Korea 'highly likely to attack South Korea again' (telegraph.co.uk)
• Japan Joins U.S. in Military Drills Amid North Korean Tension (businessweek.com)
• Has North Korea Finally Overplayed Its Hand? (dailyfinance.com)
• China Urges Restraint As US, South Korea Plan New Drills - Voice of America (news.google.com)
• China: Criticism for talks proposal unfair (cnn.com)
• US, S.Korea end war games, spy chief predicts more attacks (newsinfo.inquirer.net)

South Korea spy chief says more attacks likely

SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea is highly likely to attack South Korea again, the South's spy chief said on Wednesday, as a flotilla of American warships led by an aircraft carrier left South Korean waters after a deadly attack.
"There is a high possibility that the North will make an additional attack," Won Sei-hoon, director of the National Intelligence Service, told a parliamentary committee meeting.
The South's Defense Minister, Kim Tae-young, has also warned there was an "ample possibility" the North might stage another provocation once a U.S.-South Korea exercise ended on Wednesday.
Won said wire-taps in August indicated Pyongyang was preparing for an attack off the west coast designed to smooth the way for Kim Jong-il's son to take over as leader, Yonhap news agency reported.
"In August this year, we confirmed North Korea's plan to attack five islands in the West Sea through wiretapping," he said. "We didn't expect the (North's) shelling on civilians, as North Korea has often made threatening remarks.
Last week, North Korea fired a barrage of artillery rounds at Yeonpyeong island in the first such attack on civilians on South Korean soil since the end of the 1950-53 Korean war. Two civilians were among the four killed.
Analysts say the attack was an attempt to force the resumption of international negotiations that could bring it aid, or could be seen as an attempt to boost the militaristic credentials of the country's leader-in-waiting, Kim Jong-un.
Won said the attack on Yeonpyeong island came as "internal complaints are growing about the North's succession for a third generation (of Kim family rule), and its economic situation is worsening."
Kim Jong-un is the youngest son of ailing leader Kim Jong-il.
CHINA STANDS BY NORTH
China steadfastly stood by its ally, North Korea, on Wednesday, refusing to bow to international pressure and condemn its actions at the United Nations.
Beijing said it would not favor any side but wanted to help resolve the dispute as a "responsible great power."
China, North Korea's only powerful ally, protected Pyongyang from censure by the U.N. Security Council for last week's deadly bombardment of Yeonpyeong, an attack many analysts believe was an attempt to force the resumption of international negotiations that could bring it aid.
"Our general goal is for all sides to exercise calm and restraint and to make every effort to avoid such incidents recurring," Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said as South Korea planned further military drills for next week after U.S. warships leave Wednesday.
"Since the exchange of fire between North and South Korea, China has made a series of efforts to prevent the situation from escalating and deteriorating. China decides its position based on the merits of each case and does not seek to protect any side," Yang said.
Yang spoke as Chen Zhili, vice-chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, met a delegation from North Korea. China wants to hold an emergency meeting of the six regional powers, but the proposal has met with a lukewarm response.
An attempt by France and Britain to push the U.N. Security Council to condemn North Korea's nuclear program and the attack on Yeonpyeong was on the verge of collapse because of China's unwillingness to apportion blame, envoys said.
The reason for the virtual breakdown of talks on two Security Council statements to rebuke Pyongyang was China's demand for removal of words such as "condemn" and "violation."
The United States and South Korea are pressing China, which has not blamed North Korea for the island attack or for the sinking of a South Korean naval vessel in March, to do more to rein in its ally.
Meanwhile, a four-day show-of-force military exercise with the United States, which included the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, concluded and the vessels headed to another joint maneuver with Japan.
There were no further attacks and markets were assuaged.
Wednesday, stocks ended up 1 percent and the won currency was up 0.7 percent, but credit default swaps rose to a three-month high Wednesday, Reuters data showed, indicating continued risk concerns.
"People know that it's not the end and North Korea can come out again any time after the exercise ends with a sort of violations," said a foreign exchange trader at a Singaporean bank in Seoul.
South Korea is planning further artillery drills, "including waters close to the Yellow Sea border (with the North)" starting Monday, Yonhap said.
Oil traders, meanwhile, said the U.S. Navy was seeking a medium-range oil tanker to move at least 30,000 tons of jet fuel from Japan to South Korea, suggesting it was stockpiling.[nL3E6N108J]
The route is unusual for jet fuel, but the U.S. military said such shipments were standard for operational use.
Nearly 30,000 U.S. troops are based in South Korea, which is still technically at war with the North, having only signed a truce to end fighting in the 1950-53 war.
(Additional reporting by Yoo Choonsik and Yeonhee Kim in Seoul; and Louis Charbonneau at the United Nations; Writing by Nick Macfie; Editing by Ron Popeski)

Related articles

• South Korea spy chief says more attacks likely (reuters.com)
• South Korea spy chief says more attacks likely (msnbc.msn.com)
• South Korea top spy warns new North attacks possible (theglobeandmail.com)
• S.Korea spy chief says more attacks likely (calgaryherald.com)
• Eric Logan: VOA | S Korean Spy Chief: N Korea Likely to Attack Again | News | English (voanews.com)
• North Korea 'highly likely to attack South Korea again' (telegraph.co.uk)
• US, S.Korea end war games, spy chief predicts more attacks (thehimalayantimes.com)
• China says won't take sides in Korea dispute (thehimalayantimes.com)
• South Korea warns North will attack again to bolster succession (telegraph.co.uk)
• China Urges Restraint As US, South Korea Plan New Drills - Voice of America (news.google.com)