North Korea Ends Armistice, Threatens Attacks

Citing South Korean "Violation," North Ends 56 Year Old Deal

Potentially spelling an end to nearly 56 years of relative peace on the Korean Peninsula, North Korea has announced that it considers the South to be in violation of the June 27, 1953 Armistice, and that it willl no longer honor the treaty.

South Korea has joined a US-sponsored international program to intercept ships suspected of involvement in nuclear proliferation. North Korea says that it will respond militarily to any attempt to capture its ships along the disputed maritime border.

Tensions between the North Korean government and the West have risen dramatically since Monday, when the North successfully tested an atomic weapon. Since then North Korea has also tested short range missiles, both surface to air and surface to ship.

North Korea abandoned six-party talks last month after the United Nations Security Council condemned them for a satellite launch. They ousted UN inspectors from their nuclear site at Yongbyon and have vowed not to return to the talks.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.