S. Korean defense minister warns of possible provocation by N. Korea

SEOUL, Jan. 1 (Yonhap) -- Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee urged his troops Thursday to bolster combat readiness for a possible conflict with North Korea especially near the disputed inter-Korean sea border in the Yellow Sea.

"Standing ready to fight is the most beautiful thing for soldiers," Lee said
while inspecting the Command of the Second Fleet in Pyeongtaek, 70km south of
Seoul, in his first official activity this year.
"I came here first as you operate near the Northern Limit Line (NLL), around which
there is the most likely place that North Korea would take a provocative step," he
said.
North Korea disputes the de-facto maritime border that was drawn unilaterally by
U.S.-led U.N. forces at the end of the Korean War. The waters near the NLL in the
Yellow Sea remain a potential flash point.
North Korea's naval boats often infringe the NLL in the hope of replacing the NLL
with another border further south. Bloody naval skirmishes occurred in 1999 and
2002.
"Although the best way is to head off the enemy's provocation. In case of
failure, however, it is your duty to end a clash in victory as fast as possible
and stave off a bigger conflict," the minister stressed.