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A cutout of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is set alight by a man from an anti-North Korea and conservative civic group during an anti-North Korean rally in central Seoul, South Korea, August 21, 2015. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered his troops onto a war footing from 5 p.m on Friday after his government issued an ultimatum to Seoul to halt anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts by Saturday afternoon or face military action. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

The United States resumed its annual military exercise with South Korea after briefly halting it over shelling across the border with North Korea. A senior U.S. defence official announced the recommence of the exercises at a news briefing on Friday.

"That exercise was suspended temporarily, I believe the day before yesterday, in order to allow the U.S. side to coordinate with the South Korean side on the ... exchange of artillery," Reuters quoted David Shear, assistant secretary of defence for East Asia. “That exercise has resumed as planned.”

North Korea has been consistently calling the joint military exercises as South Korea’s preparation for war. Seoul complained that the North had fired four artillery rounds into South Korea on Thursday as an apparent objection to cross-border propaganda broadcasts. In response, South Korea fired 29 artillery rounds over the demilitarised zone between the countries.

The Ulchi Freedom Guardian, as the military exercise is code-named, started on Monday. It is scheduled to end on Aug 28. According to Shear, the United States was “very concerned” about the North’s action. He said it was a violation of the 1953 Korea armistice agreement by North Korea. Shear called upon North Korea “to cease provocations across the DMZ and restore calm to the peninsula.”

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Friday that his army were in a "quasi-state of war." Associate Press reported he had ordered his front-line troops to get prepared for war. He accused Seoul of framing a fictional story to launch attack against the North. China expressed concern over the situation and asked both sides to step back.

North Korea has repeatedly warned that it would reduce the South to a “sea of fire.” Seoul has, on the other hand, vowed to reply with overwhelming strength if Pyongyang strikes again. The North claimed it did not fire at South Korea which called it nonsense.

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