South Korea 'will bomb North' if attacked again

Kim Kwan, a retired general, was speaking at a parliamentary meeting confirming him as new defence minister, a day after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said North Korea threatened the region and the world.

"If there are further provocations, we will definitely use aircraft to bomb North Korea," Kim said, when asked how he would respond to another attack after last week's North Korean bombardment of an island near their disputed border, killing two South Korean marines and two civilians.

For nearly 60 years, the two Koreas have faced each other across one of the world's most heavily armed borders. They have never signed a peace treaty to end the 1950-53 Korean War.

The North alone has more than 5,000 multiple-launch rockets pointed at the capital Seoul which, with its satellite cities, is home to some 25 million people.

US and Japanese forces began manoeuvres on Friday, adding to tension. The exercises will involve about 44,500 personnel.

Japanese Defence Minister Toshiba Kitazawa described the manoeuvres as "normal training" held every two years.

Clinton said: "North Korea poses an immediate threat to the region around us, particularly to South Korea and Japan.

"It poses a medium-term threat if it were to collapse to China, because of refugees and other instability. And it poses a long-term threat to the entire world, because of its nuclear programme, and its export of weapons around the world."

The United States has been pushing China, North Korea's only major ally, to bring the reclusive country to heel. China has refused to blame North Korea for last week's attack, or for the earlier sinking of a South Korean naval vessel. A team of international investigators said the North torpedoed the ship.

On Wednesday, South Korea's spy chief said it was highly likely the North would attack its wealthy neighbour again.

China, which said it would not play favourites in the dispute, has proposed emergency talks of the two Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States. Only Russia has given its support.

Six-party talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear programme were suspended in December 2008 after North Korea walked out.