1. South Korean defence ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok at briefing
2. Journalists sitting in briefing session
3. SOUNDBITE: (Korean) Kim Min-seok, South Korean defence ministry spokesman:
"Our military will immediately strike and punish North Korea's provocation on the field without any hesitation or consideration, which not only includes the origin of the provocation but also supporting forces and commanding power. Now, our military is inspecting North Korea's movement through all front lines, like NLL (Northern Limit Line), DMZ (Demilitarised Zone) and so on. In addition, we maintain a thoroughgoing preparatory attitude. We strongly warn North Korea that it should keep in mind that its provocation is the worst choice that leads themselves to self-destruction that cannot be undone."
The South Korean defence ministry warned North Korea on Friday that it would immediately punish any provocation after North Korea said it would "bury the South Korean provokers at the bottom of the sea for good".
"Our military will immediately strike and punish North Korea's provocation on the field without any hesitation or consideration which not only includes the origin of the provocation but also supporting forces and commanding power," said South Korean defence ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok in Seoul.
The North Korean statement earlier on Friday denounced South Korea for commemorating the fourth anniversary of the Yeonpyeong island shelling this Sunday.
"It is the retaliatory will of the stalwart fighters on the southwestern front greeting the fourth anniversary of their victory in the Yeonpyeong Island shelling to bury the provokers at the bottom of sea for good so that they may not say even about retrieval of defeat," said the statement.
"The mad provokers are bound to be beaten or killed by the KPA. It is their inevitable and miserable fate," it went on.
In November 2010, a North Korean artillery bombardment killed four South Koreans on Yeonpyeong.
The poorly marked western sea boundary has been the scene of several bloody naval skirmishes between the two Koreas in recent years.
South Korean defence ministry spokesman Kim said the South Korean military was watching North Korea's movement on all front lines, including the Northern Limit Line and the Demilitarised Zone.
