South Korea Puts Forces on Alert

The government put the armed forces on alert Friday after a woman confessed she had bombed a Korean Air jet on orders from a North Korean leader.

North Korea denied involvement in the bombing and said South Korea’s claims were lies.

Defense Minister Chung Ho Yong ordered South Korea’s 600,000-member armed forces to go on special alert to counter possible North Korean provocations.

“Our army is issuing a stern warning against North Korean military authorities and at the same time we, along with our people, denounce North Korea’s barbarous act,” he said.

In New York, South Korea’s U.N. ambassador, Keun Park, said the United Nations should impose sanctions on North Korea, but said his country plans no military retaliation. In Washington, a State Department official said “nobody is considering retaliation.”