(Newser) – Yesterday the US was the target of North Korean warnings; today, Pyongyang is focused on its southern neighbor, threatening to attack if South Korea backs UN sanctions against it. "If the puppet group of traitors takes a direct part in the UN 'sanctions,' the DPRK will take strong physical countermeasures against it," said the North. "'Sanctions' mean a war and a declaration of war against us."

The new president-elect of South Korea, Park Geun-hye, will still seek a dialogue with Pyongyang, the AP reports—but the North's latest threats put her in a tight spot, the New York Times notes. Talks are "a gradual process based on mutual trust and respect, which can begin with keeping promises," says a rep for Park, adding that the North's "nuclear ambitions and further provocations against the South will not be tolerated."