Seoul restarts propaganda warfare, deploys artillery at border following North nuke test

The decision on the broadcasts came after US President Barack Obama and South Korean President Park Geun Hye held a phone call and pledged to “forge a united and strong worldwide response” to North Korea’s “reckless behavior” for its test on Wednesday of what the regime claimed was a hydrogen bomb.

It might take weeks or longer to confirm or refute the North’s claim that it successfully tested a hydrogen bomb, which would mark a major and unanticipated advance for its still-limited nuclear arsenal.

The South Korean military official said the country is “continuously maintaining heightened military alertness” after the nuclear test.

The dictator’s actions were widely condemned around the world and brought calls for more sanctions on North Korea.

North Korea responded then by threatening a nuclear strike on the United States.

Kerry and Wang agreed their countries would work closely in the UN Security Council, in which members are expected to discuss a fresh sanctions resolution against North Korea.

The North’s claim of a successful test drew extreme scepticism overseas.

“At this stage, we don’t think it is appropriate to talk about the withdrawal or closure of the complex”, said spokesperson Jeong Joon-hee of South Korea’s unification ministry, which restricted access to Kaesong from south of the border a day earlier.

“On the first trip that I made to China when I raised the issue of the climate negotiation that resulted in China joining with us, I spent most of that trip and most of that time on North Korea”, he added.

Kerry said that as China has had “a particular approach” to addressing North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, Washington had been giving Beijing “the space to be able to implement that”.

China, North Korea’s closest economic partner, has not concealed its annoyance with Pyongyang’s unexpected foray into what is its fourth nuclear test since 2006.

The vast majority of North Korea’s business dealings are with China, which bought 90 percent of the isolated country’s exports in 2013, according to data compiled by South Korea’s International Trade Association.

“We urge South Korea to exercise restraint”, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said during a visit in Japan.

Leader of the Democratic minority, Nancy Pelosi of California, promised Thursday there will be strong bipartisan support for the legislation tabled by the top Republican and Democrat lawmakers on the House Foreign Affairs Committee that would target access to hard currency and other goods and step up inspections of North Korean cargo.