North Korean threats of attack against the South are commonplace, but the continuation of such warnings complicates efforts by South Korean President Park Geun-hye to bring the North into a dialogue on inter-Korean issues, including a stalled industrial park jointly run by the countries.
For his part, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged North Korea to "seriously" consider a dialogue with the South about the Kaesong Industrial Complex.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye, who has sought to re-engage North Korea with dialogue and aid since taking office in February, expressed exasperation Tuesday with what she called the "endless vicious cycle" of Seoul answering Pyongyang's hostile behavior with compromise, only to get more hostility.