North Korea's new leaders lash out at South Korea and allies

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North Korea's new leaders lash out at South Korea and allies

Reuters – 1 hour 0 minutes ago

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea sounded a bellicose note in its first

communication with the outside world since the death of leader Kim Jong-il,

saying its confrontational stance against South Korea would not change and

labeling its opponents " foolish. "

Since Kim Jong-il died on December 17, the outside world has been watching to

see whether his son Kim Jong-un, aged in his 20s, would stick to its hardline

" military first " policies that have seen the isolated nation move closer to

nuclear weapons capacity.

" On this occasion, we solemnly declare with confidence that foolish politicians

around the world, including the puppet forces in South Korea, should not expect

any changes from us, " a broadcaster on state television said on Friday.

She was reading a statement from the National Defense Commission, the top body

in the militarized and impoverished state under Kim Jong-il.

In a break from the black mourning clothing worn since Kim Jong-il's death, the

broadcaster wore dark red clothes and almost shouted her defiant message.

North Korea has a long history of using bellicose phrases against the South,

especially since the conservative government of Lee Myung-bak took office in

2008 and ended a policy of engagement with the North.

It has threatened to turn the South's capital Seoul into a " sea of fire " on

numerous occasions and repeated that rhetoric again on Friday.

" We will never engage with the Lee Myung-bak administration, " said the

announcer.

" The sea of bloody tears from our military and people will follow the puppet

regime until the end. The tears will turn into a sea of revengeful fire that

burns everything. "

In 2010, the North launched an artillery barrage that killed South Korean

civilians for the first time since the end of the Korean War in 1953. It was

blamed for sinking a South Korean warship earlier that year, although it denies

it did.

Little is known of Kim Jong-un, who had been groomed for government since 2009.

He has been dubbed " Supreme Commander " in North Korea and is expected to rule

with the aid of key figures like his uncle Jang Song-thaek, at least in the

early stages of the power transition.

" Expecting any change from the North on our part would be foolish, " said Chung

Young-tae, an analyst at the Korea Institute of National Unification in Seoul, a

government think-tank.

South Korea's government did not formally respond to the comments from the

North.

NUCLEAR CAPACITY

Under Kim Jong-il, who died earlier this month aged 69, North Korea conducted

two nuclear tests and a top observer of its nuclear program said this week the

country may only be a few years away from developing a nuclear tipped missile.

Few however expect the North to launch a full scale attack on South Korea.

Pyongyang's main backer, China, has repeatedly urged a " peaceful " solution on

the Korean peninsula.

Despite the freeze in official relations between North and South, the two sides

held talks this year which North Korea leaked, embarrassing the government in

Seoul.

North Korea needs food aid from the government in Seoul as up to a third of its

population is malnourished, according to the United Nations.

" These forms of messages have led to conversation before, " said Chung.

(Reporting by Seoul bureau; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)