China calls for emergency talks over Korea crisis

LONDON - China has reportedly called for an emergency meeting of key nations amid high tension in the Korean peninsula over North Korea’s shelling of a South Korea island.

According to reports, China proposed that members of the six nations that have been taking part in talks on North Korean nuclear disarmament should meet in December.

The two Koreas, the US, China, Japan and Russia are involved in the talks.

South Korea quickly said it was not interested in formally resuming talks on nuclear disarmament, the BBC reports.

Tension remains high on the peninsula, with the US and South Korea having begun a four-day joint military exercise in the waters off the Korean coast.

The US aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington, and four other US navy vessels are being joined by South Korean destroyers, patrol vessels, frigates, support ships and anti-submarine aircraft.

The drills are taking place about 125km south of the disputed maritime border between the two Koreas.

The decision to send the aircraft carrier and navy vessels was taken by US President Barack Obama after talks with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.

“South Korea is our ally. It has been since the Korean war and we strongly affirm our commitment to defend South Korea as part of that alliance,” Obama had said.

“We strongly condemn the attack and we are rallying the international community to put pressure on North Korea,” he added.

Earlier, on Tuesday, North Korean artillery shells had killed two marines and destroyed several houses and other buildings on the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong. (ANI)