By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's military warned Thursday that North Korea will pay a harsh price for an attack on the South or its ally the United States.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) issued the strongly worded message in response to the North's continued war rhetoric, including a threat to fire ballistic missiles toward Guam.
Should the North ignore the warning and provoke, it will face "the allies' strong and resolute retaliation," Army Col. Roh Jae-cheon, the JCS spokesman, said in a statement.
It's unusual for the South's military to issue such a warning message against the North for verbal threats, not missile or nuclear testing.
He denounced the North for a series of "reckless rhetoric" such as "turning Seoul into sea of fire," "pre-emptive retaliatory operation" and "enveloping fire around Guam."
"It's a serious challenge to our people and the South Korea-U.S. alliance," he said.
The allies are all set to counter the North's provocation immediately and sternly, he stressed.
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