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- In letter to UN Security Council, Pyongyang says fortification of its southern border is a 'legitimate and just exercise of its sovereignty' under UN Charter
By Riyaz ul Khaliq
ISTANBUL (AA) - North Korea has told the UN Security Council that a mine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone was a "fabrication" by South Korea, state media reported Monday.
North Korea's permanent representative to the UN sent a letter to the Security Council president Sunday, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA.
The letter came amid tensions on the Korean Peninsula after three South Korean soldiers were wounded in a mine explosion on Sept. 21.
Seoul blamed Pyongyang for the incident and called for the restoration of military talks. North Korea rejected the accusations and has yet to respond to the South Korean Defense Ministry's offer to resume communication.
Pyongyang's letter followed a similar communication from South Korea to the Security Council, demanding an apology from the North over the incident, the Korea Herald newspaper reported.
The exchange came as South Korea and the US began joint air drills Monday, a day after Yonhap News reported that North Korean troops were seen conducting drills with a self-propelled howitzer in coastal border areas of Hwanghae province.
North Korea's letter described the mine explosion as a "sinister obstructive move" by South Korea aimed at portraying Pyongyang's border fortifications as a military invasion.
It also accused Seoul of attempting to delay the fortification work and evade responsibility for escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
The letter said the fortification of North Korea's southern border was a "legitimate and just exercise of its sovereignty" in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.
Pyongyang described the work as a defensive measure against external threats of aggression.
"If the RoK violates the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DPRK despite our warnings, the former will be held wholly accountable for all the ensuing consequences," the letter said.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is North Korea's official name, while the Republic of Korea is the official name of South Korea.
- South Korea, US launch joint air drills
South Korea's Air Force said Monday that joint air drills with the US were focused on "counter-air and air interdiction missions aimed at enhancing wartime joint operations."
The two-week Freedom Flag exercise is being held at Kunsan Air Base in Gunsan, about 180 kilometers (112 miles) southwest of Seoul.
The 1950s Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas technically at war.
Some 39,000 US military personnel are stationed in South Korea under a mutual defense pact.
Riyaz Khaliq Khaliq
