North Korea today warned South Korea of merciless retaliatory strikes, a day after the South fired warning shots at North Korean boats near their disputed sea border.

The North’s military General Staff said from now on it would open fire without warning at any South Korean ships if they intrude into disputed waters in the Yellow Sea.

North Korea accused the South of responding to its efforts to create dialogue with reckless military provocation.

In recent weeks, Pyongyang has been urging Seoul to accept leader Kim Jong-Un’s proposal for military talks aimed at easing cross-border tensions.

Seoul has flatly rejected the offer, insisting that the North should first take a tangible step towards ending its nuclear weapons programmes.