North says it’s at war with South

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea declared today it has entered “a state of war” with South Korea in the latest of a string of threats that have raised tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea’s government, parties and organizations said in a joint statement that all matters between the two countries will now be dealt with in a manner befitting war.

The Korean Peninsula is already in a technical state of war because the Korean War ended in a cease-fire, not a peace treaty. But Pyongyang ditched that armistice earlier this month.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry quickly released a statement calling the latest threat not new and saying it is a follow-up to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s earlier order to put troops on a high alert in response to annual U.S-South Korean defense drills. Pyongyang sees those drills as rehearsals for an invasion.

On Friday, Kim warned that his forces were ready “to settle accounts with the U.S.” after two American B-2 bombers flew a training mission in South Korea.

Associated Press