South Korea plans new drills as China avoids blaming North

By Nick Macfie

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea plans more military drills after U.S. warships leave on Wednesday, Yonhap news agency said, a move likely to add to tension on the divided peninsula after last week's attack by the North.

The isolated North's only powerful ally, China, protected Pyongyang from censure by the U.N. Security Council for last week's deadly bombardment of the South's Yonpyeong island, an attack many analysts believe was an attempt by the impoverished state to grab attention and force the resumption of international negotiations that could bring it aid.

As the nuclear-powered USS George Washington heads out of Korean waters back to Japan, South Korea is planning further artillery drills, "including waters close to the Yellow Sea border (with the North)" starting on Monday, Yonhap said.

The Defense Ministry would not comment on the report. Such drills are common and the exercise would be west of Yeonpyeong, Yonhap said.

The plan was to "beef up its defense readiness posture against any possible additional provocations by North Korea," it said, quoting officials.

An attempt by France and Britain to push the U.N. Security Council to condemn North Korea's nuclear program and the attack on Yeonpyeong was on the verge of collapse because of China's unwillingness to apportion blame, envoys said.

The reason for the virtual breakdown of talks on two separate Security Council statements to rebuke Pyongyang was China's demand for removal of key words such as "condemn" and "violation."

The United States and South Korea are pressing China, which has not blamed North Korea for the island attack, or for the sinking of a South Korean naval vessel in March, to do more to rein in its ally.

President Lee Myung-bak, widely criticized at home for a perceived weak response to the North Korean attack, has twice warned that any further provocation would be met with force.

Outgoing Defense Minister Kim Tae-young told lawmakers on Tuesday that there was an "ample possibility" the North may stage another provocation after the joint maneuvers end.

THREATS AND BOASTS

Many analysts believe North Korea's attack, continual threats of all-out war and its boasting on Tuesday of huge nuclear advances are aimed at holding the world's attention as it seeks aid and other economic sweeteners with the resumption of so-called "six-party talks" it walked out of two years ago.

North Korea has conducted two nuclear tests to date and is believed to have enough fissile material from its plutonium-based program to make between six and 12 bombs.

It is also seen as a proliferation risk, accused by the West of supplying Syria, and possibly Iran, with nuclear know-how.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday the North's nuclear program, last week's attack on Yeonpyeong and a Chinese proposal for emergency talks would be raised at meeting of foreign ministers in Washington in early December.

South Korea, Japan and the United States, three of the six countries involved in the on-off disarmament talks, will attend.

(Additional reporting by Louis Charbonneau at the United Nations; Editing by Jonathan Thatcher)