DPRK raps ROK's bellicose remarks

PYONGYANG - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Tuesday accused Republic of Korea's President Park Geun-hye's remarks on war preparedness of intolerable provocation, the official KCNA news agency reported.

Park, who cried out for enhancing war preparedness against the DPRK while trumpeting about dialogue and peace, is "an agitation for extreme confrontation, and chill the hard-won atmosphere for dialogue," a spokesman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea (CPRK) said in a statement.

"The ROK authorities should not misjudge the sincerity and patience of the DPRK, and clearly know that if they continue to pursue confrontation, the DPRK-ROK ties will go back to the worst point, entailing uncontrollably catastrophic consequences," it said.

According to the statement, Park made a string of bellicose remarks on Monday, calling for "getting combat-ready regardless of change in the DPRK-ROK relations and the situation in surrounding areas" and saying "it is necessary to get ready for a war to ensure peace."

The announcement came one day after she addressed the National Security Council meeting in Chongwadae, stressing the need to guard against the DPRK's provocations.

The DPRK agreed to hold Red Cross working-level talks on the reunion of families separated by the Korean War on Friday, and also proposed talks on Thursday.