Rodong Sinmun Sunday says this in a by-lined commentary.

Such hideous provocations have been prepared and systematically pushed forward by traitor Lee Myung Bak and military bosses who are steeped in extremely hostility toward the DPRK to the marrow of their bones, the commentary notes, and goes on:

What merits more serious attention is that the ceaseless anti-DPRK provocations have been staged, pursuant to the "state policy" of the group of traitors and as a main link in the chain of the puppet military's war rackets against the DPRK.

It is the army and people of the DPRK who regard the dignity of its leadership as the lifeline of the nation and lay down even their lives to defend it even if the sky were to fall and the earth to break.

They will take merciless and strong retaliatory military measures against the south Korean puppet authorities, leaving no means untried, till they put an end to all their hideous crimes and make an apology to the nation for them.