Tensions between North and South Korea are spiraling out of control. The north has cut all ties, and Kim Jong-il reportedly ordered his forces to prepare to defend against attack. Seoul continues to push for satisfaction in the U.N. Security Council after the north allegedly torpedoed a South Korean warship.

State media reports that North Korea will not engage diplomatically until the south’s President Lee Myong-bak leaves office. Lee has backed his nation away from its so-called sunshine policy, meant to ease relations between the two Koreas.

Speaking from Beijing, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised President Lee and referred to stability on the Korean Peninsula as a “shared responsibility” with China. Clinton added that “we will work with the international community and our Chinese colleagues to fashion an effective and appropriate response” to the crisis.

China is by far North Korea’s biggest trading partner and, together with South Korea, accounts for most of the north’s imports and exports. — PZS