Seoul tells Pyongyang to stay away from drill

South Korea issued a warning Wednesday that it wouldn't tolerate any provocations in its upcoming military exercise and would mount an immediate counterattack if fired upon by North Korean troops.

The warning came after Pyongyang threatened "strong physical retaliation" against Seoul's naval exercise near the disputed Yellow Sea border beginning today.

"Our military will keep a close eye on our enemy, be ready under any circumstances during the training and will not tolerate any type of provocation," Rear Admiral Kim Kyung-sik said at a briefing.

The five-day, anti-submarine drill would involve 29 ships, 50 fixed-wing aircraft and 4,500 army, navy, air force, marine and coastguard personnel.

The Seoul-based Chosun Ilbo newspaper quoted a military source as saying that North Korea had moved SA-5 long-range anti-aircraft missiles close to areas near the border.

"When SA-5 tracer radar is activated, our fighters have to fly low to avoid detection. Their activities are consequently somewhat restricted," the source was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, Washington has declared new sanctions against Pyongyang by adding 10-20 North Korean entities and individuals to its blacklist.

The Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency, quoting an unidentified South Korean government source, said one of the individuals is Kim Tong-myong, head of the North's Tanchon Commercial Bank.

Agencies