By Kim Young-jin
North Korea said Saturday any loss of civilians from its shelling of a southern island is “very regrettable” while issuing a warning to Seoul and Washington ahead of their joint military exercises intended to deter further provocation.
Four South Koreans ― two marines and two civilians ― were killed in the incident Tuesday, which Pyongyang says Seoul instigated by firing toward it during a drill.
In a commentary run by its state-run Korean Central News Agency, the North expressed regret over any civilian lives that may have been lost as a result of the shelling, which it says was aimed only at military bases. It also blamed the South for the deaths.
"If that is true, it is very regrettable, but the enemy (the South) should be held responsible for the incident as it took such inhuman action as creating 'a human shield' by deploying civilians around artillery positions and inside military facilities before the launch of the provocation," it said.
It was not the first time the North has expressed regret over the deaths of South Korean civilians. Most recently, it did so after six southerners died when the North opened a dam on the Imjin River, causing flash floods downriver.
Meanwhile, the North also issued a stern warning against the South Korea-U.S. war games, which opened Sunday and included the 97,000 ton aircraft carrier USS George Washington.
"If the United States brings its carrier to the West Sea of Korea at last, no one can predict the ensuing consequences," it said.
Reports Sunday said the North had deployed SA-2 surface-to-air missiles to the west coast and that signs had been spotted of additional artillery firings, citing government sources.
The reported moves added to speculation over whether the North will carry out any military measures in response to the drills.
"The DPRK has so far restrained itself with the maximum patience. But the enemy encroached upon the inviolable territorial waters and land of (North Korea) by firing live shells in the most sensitive disputed area despite its repeated warnings," the commentary said.
It also lashed out at the United States, accusing Washington of provoking the inter-Korean clash in order to beef up its military presence in the region.
"No sooner had the Yeonpyeong incident occurred than the United States announced that it would stage joint naval exercises with the South Korean puppet forces with the nuclear-powered carrier George Washington involved in the West Sea of Korea as if it had been waiting for it to happen before immediately sending the carrier to the sea," it said.
"This clearly indicates that the U.S. was the arch criminal who deliberately planned the incident and wire-pulled it behind the scenes.”
The exercise is slated to run through Wednesday and involve dozens of South Korean and U.S. warships.