Pyongyang lashes out at new ROK president

Democratic People's Republic of Korea(DPRK) yesterday made its first mention of Republic of Korea's(ROK) new president since his December election, warning his call to get tough with Pyongyang would have "catastrophic" consequences.

In the past week DPRK has test-fired missiles, expelled ROK officials from a joint factory park in the North and threatened to reduce ROK to ashes in a show of anger at Lee and the South's ally, the United States.

DPRK called conservative Lee Myung-bak, who took office in February, a "political charlatan", an "absent-minded traitor" and a "US sycophant" in a commentary in the Rodong Sinmun newspaper carried by its KCNA news agency.