These moves are as reckless an act as playing with fire on the powder house, said Rodong Sinmun Wednesday in a bylined commentary.

The aim sought by the Lee group through various provocations is to aggravate the north-south relations, escalate military tensions to an extreme pitch and ignite a war against the DPRK at any cost, the commentary said, and went on:

It is as clear as noonday that the intensified provocations against the DPRK will lead to a war.

The army and people of the DPRK will mercilessly retaliate against the reckless provocateurs and counter the war of aggression with the just war of retaliation, a sacred war of national reunification.

The Lee group will be made to experience the miserable ruin to be brought by its reckless provocations.