SEOUL, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Monday urged local media not to overreact to movements by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s military, noting there has been no unusual situation since last week's naval clash between the two sides.

    Lee made the remark in a weekly meeting with his top presidential secretaries, according to the country's Yonhap News Agency.

    Lee said unnecessary fears are raising among the public due to the "exaggerated" reports by local media on inter-Korean tension, although there are no unusual movements by the DPRK's military in waters where the naval clash broke out last Tuesday.

    The president stressed that the government officials should accurately explain the situation to the media and ask for their cooperation to prevent unnecessary unrest among the people.

    South Korea and the DPRK's naval boats exchanged fire off west coast of the Korean Peninsula near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) area Tuesday morning, but no casualties were reported. The two sides blamed each other for the clash.

    The NLL was fixed unilaterally by the U.S.-led United Nations Command after the Korean War (1950- 1953). Seoul holds the NLL as the de-facto western inter-Korean maritime border, but Pyongyang does not accepted it, and declared its maritime military control zone off west coast of the Korean Peninsula in September 1999.

    Since the clash, local media reports have poured on situation in the disputed waters and possible retaliatory moves by the DPRK side.

S. Korea calmly responses to DPRK's latest warning

     SEOUL, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- South Korea on Friday calmly responded to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s latest warning on disputed waters, describing it as only "rhetoric".

     The DPRK said earlier in the day it will take "merciless military measures" to defend its own sea demarcation line in the West Sea, and South Korea will pay the cost for a recent naval clash. Full story

DPRK warns of military actions to defend sea demarkation line

    PYONGYANG, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said Friday it would take "merciless military actions" to defend its sea demarkation line with South Korea.

    The DPRK put forward four principles and requirements related to the recent naval clash with South Korea off the west coast of the Korean Peninsular, official news agency KCNA reported. Full story