Quote:

---

North Korea said Friday that South Korea and the United States are recklessly pushing the Korean peninsula toward war by scheduling a joint military drill for this weekend.

"The situation on the Korean peninsula is inching closer to the brink of war due to the reckless plan of those trigger-happy elements to stage again the war exercises targeted against [North Korea] in wake of the grave military provocation they perpetrated against the territorial waters of [the North Korean] side in the West Sea," said the North's official KCNA news agency.

The West Sea is the part of the Yellow Sea that's closest to the Koreas, and it was the scene of Tuesday's shelling of a South Korean island by North Korea. The attack on Yeonpyeong Island killed four South Koreans and injured 15 others.

North Korea said the South provoked the attack because shells from a South Korean military drill landed in the North's waters. South Korea was holding its annual Hoguk military drill when the North started its shelling.

"The army and people of [North Korea] are now greatly enraged at the provocation of the puppet group, while getting fully ready to give a shower of dreadful fire and blow up the bulwark of the enemies if they dare to encroach again upon [North Korea's] dignity and sovereignty even in the least," KCNA said Friday.

"The group should not run amuck, clearly understanding the will and mettle of the highly alerted army and people of [North Korea] to wipe out the enemies."

The United States has condemned the attack on Yeonpyeong Island and affirmed its military commitments to South Korea.

South Korean and U.S. forces plan to drill in the Yellow Sea from Sunday until Wednesday. The U.S. is sending the aircraft carrier USS George Washington to the drill, which is being billed as defensive in nature. The exercises were planned months ago, but are meant to underscore strong ties between South Korea and the United States, defense officials from both countries have said.

On Friday, the sound of gunfire from suspected military exercises could be heard coming from North Korea, South Korean defense officials said. The gunfire did not appear to be aimed at Yeonpyeong Island, which is just off the coast of North Korea, though South Koreans on the island heard approximately 20 shots.

The island has been almost entirely evacuated of its population of about 1,300. About 30 residents were left, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said. Most residents had fled to the South Korean mainland. About 100 soldiers and workers also were on the island, doing cleanup and repairs.

The North appeared to have carefully targeted Tuesday's attack, a key South Korean lawmaker said Friday after a visit to Yeonpyeong Island.

---