Seoul Burns Effigies, North Korea Promises 'Powerful Sledgehammer Blows'

As hundreds of South Koreans gathered in Seoul to burn effigies of the North's leader Kim Jong Un, Pyongyang promised "powerful sledge-hammer blows" against the South for defiling its "supreme dignity," the nation said in a statement through the supreme command of the North Korean army.

The burnings were organized by the Korea Parent Federation (KPF), a conservative organization whose primary focus is dramatic protests aimed at harshly criticizing Kim Jong Un and the North Korean government. Formed in 2006, the KPF has a paid membership of about 1,700, the majority of which are veterans of the Korean War, and also includes 500 women.

"It was an act to let out our built-up outrage and frustrations against heightened threats and arrogance from North Korea," KPF Chairman Sim In-sop, explained to the Wall Street Journal. "It's not new. We have been conducting such demonstrations in the past years to deliver our message to the North."

North Korea said that the country would refuse to cooperate in talks, or any other means of negotiation with the South until the nation begged forgiveness for what it deemed a "monstrous criminal act."

"If the puppet authorities truly want dialogue and negotiations, they should apologize for all anti-DPRK hostile acts, big and small, and show the compatriots their will to stop all these acts in practice," a statement from the supreme command of the North Korean army said. In the traditional say-it-and-believe-it naming style of totalitarian regimes, DPRK, or Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is the country's official name.

South Korea's foreign ministry dismissed the North's antagonism as "absurd."

Pyongyang also cautioned the U.S. that it would continue to escalate unidentified "military countermeasures" if America did not cease its joint military exercises with South Korea or evacuate its military from the country, which the North says represents a nuclear threat to its sovereignty. North Korea tempered the hostility with a suggestion it would be open to engaging in discussions with the U.S., but said it would never negotiate as long as America is "brandishing a nuclear stick."

North Korea has made a point in recent months of displaying its military brawn through open threats aimed at the U.S. and South, provocative military exercises aimed at South Korean and U.S. targets, and more. North Korea has continued to ratchet up its aggressive rhetoric on a near-daily basis ever since its third nuclear test launch in February.

North Korea engaged the U.S. and South with nuclear missile threats throughout last week. Pyongyang declared the country had "powerful striking means" set on standby Thursday, a not so subtle suggestion it was preparing to test launch a medium-range missile. North Korea is planning to launch a medium-range Musadan missile "any day," according to South Korean and U.S. defense officials. South Korea said launching a Musadan missile, which is ballistic, would be a direct violation of the United Nations Security Council sanction that bans Pyongyang from any ballistic activity.

Experts on the region aren't convinced North Korea will follow through on its promises to engage the South in a full-scale attack such as the instigation that began the Korean War in 1950. However, analysts remain concerned the heightened tensions could pressure North Korea into a "skirmish," which could potentially develop into a legitimate conflict.

Recently, a former North Korean spy, Kim Hyun-Hee, who worked for Kim Jong Un's father, Kim Jong Il, explained why she believes the new leader's war rhetoric is nothing but saber rattling to shore up support among a military skeptical of his ability to run the country.

"Kim Jong-Un is too young and too inexperienced,"Hyun-Hee told Australia's ABC television. "He's struggling to gain complete control over the military and to win their loyalty. That's why he's doing so many visits to military bases, to firm up support."

The ex spy added that Kim Jong Un antagonizes Seoul and the U.S. with "thermo-nuclear" war in order to maintain the obedience of North Korean citizens.

"North Korea is using its nuclear program to keep its people in line and to push South Korea and the United States for concessions," said Hyun-Hee.