South Korea to convene emergency meeting on cybersecurity

Seoul said the meeting was a response to government websites and smartphones being targeted in cyberattacks that have been traced to North Korea. Earlier in the day, North Korea promised to engage in a “pre-emptive and offensive nuclear strike” in over joint military drills being conducted between the United States and South Korea.

“As the joint military exercises to be staged by the enemies are regarded as the most undisguised nuclear war drills aimed to infringe upon the sovereignty of the DPRK, its military counteraction will be more preemptive and offensive,” North Korea’s National Defense Commission said in a statement, using an acronym for the country’s official title, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The country added that it was prepared to reduce both the U.S. and South Korea to a “sea of flames and ashes.” The tensions follow a January nuclear test and February rocket launch that inspired new sanctions and a resolution from the U.N. Security Council.

The joint drill between the U.S. and South Korea will involve over 17,000 Americans and 300,000 South Koreans. China, a frequent ally of the North, also expressed its objection to the exercise. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei saying it constituted “trouble-making.”

“China is deeply concerned and firmly opposed to any trouble-making behavior on the peninsula’s doorstep,” Lei said. “We urge all sides to keep calm, exercise restraint and not escalate tensions.”

Though South Korea is taking the added precaution of an emergency meeting on cybersecurity, the country has maintained an elevated cyber alert status since the tests conducted by the North earlier this year.

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On Friday, the U.S. and South Korea began talks to construct a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system in South Korea to defend against missile attacks from the North.