S. Korea warns North on Yellow Sea attack

SEOUL, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- South Korea would respond quickly and forcibly to any attack by North Korea along the disputed Yellow Sea border, Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee warned Friday.

Lee was answering a question during a parliamentary session in Seoul about the recent harsh rhetoric on the matter from the North. But, he said authorities wouldn't allow a military response to escalate into an all-out war, the Yonhap news agency reported.

North Korea warned of another armed clash near the U.N.-drawn Northern Limit Line that forms the maritime border and one which North Korea believes should be redrawn in its favor. It also is the site of naval battles in 1999 and 2002.