(Newser)
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US-South Korean military exercises planned for this weekend are pushing the rival Koreas to "the brink of war," North Korea warns. A statement from the country's news agency described the drills, involving the nuclear-powered supercarrier USS George Washington, as a reckless plan by "trigger-happy elements," the AP reports.
As a show of solidarity Gen. Walter Sharp, the top American commander in South Korea, plans a visit today to the island shelled by North Korea earlier this week. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak—who is replacing his defense minister amid criticism of the response to the North Korean attack—is sending thousands more troops to Yeonpyeong and other islands near the disputed maritime border between the Koreas.
