North Korea warned of “merciless” strike against it neighbor in the Korean peninsula, after southern activists burned effigies of the ruling Kim dynasty on the second anniversary of the death of former leader Kim Jong-Il.

North Korea warned of “merciless” strike against it neighbor in the Korean peninsula, after southern activists burned effigies of the ruling Kim dynasty on the second anniversary of the death of former leader Kim Jong-Il.

The warning was contained in a message sent Thursday by the secretariat of the National Defense Commission, the North's highest military body, through a military hotline, officials quoted South's defense ministry as saying.

In rallies on Tuesday to mark the death anniversary of Kim Jong-Il, South Korean conservative groups burned effigies of young North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, his late father and grandfather.

The North said the rallies had insulted the "highest dignity" of its leadership, and threatened to take "merciless" retaliatory acts without prior warning, the defense ministry said.

"We've sent a reply vowing to react sternly to any provocations by North Korea," ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok told reporters.

The North's threat comes after last week's execution of Jang Song-Thaek, a high-level official who was the uncle and former political mentor of Kim Jong-Un.
Seoul and Washington have warned of possible “provocative” acts by the nuclear-armed North.