DPA SEOUL NORTH Korea on Friday threatened a “sacred war”against South Korea after alleged insults against its leader, media reports said. The leadership of Pyongyang’s armed forces said North Korea would “indiscriminately stage its own-style sacred war to wipe out the group of traitors,” according to the Korean Central News Agency.

The reclusive state uses “group of traitors” to refer to South Korea. North Korea’s threat was provoked by allegations that pictures of its leader Kim Jong Un and his father Kim Jong Il, who died in December, were displayed on a wall at a barracks in South Korea’s city of Inchon with the slogan “Let’s kill Kim Jong Un,” South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported. A Defence Ministry spokesman in Seoul said the threat “was notworthy of a response.” A deal this week between the United States and North Korea, according to which Pyongyang would suspend nuclear activities in return for food aid from Washington, had raised hopes of an easing of tensions. The agreement also increased optimism about the possible restart of six-party talks involving the Koreas, the United States, China, Russia and Japan about ending North Korea’s nuclear programme.

The talks have been stalled since 2009. The recent moves were raised during talks on Friday between South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung Hwan and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi in Seoul.

The two agreed to cooperate to ensure that North Korea took concrete steps to fulfil its side of the bargain, Yonhap reported, citing a government official.

Pyongyang also threatened “sacred war” at the weekend over the start of annual military manoeuvres by the US and South Korea.

A similar threat was made last year after it was made known that South Korean soldiers were used to shooting at photographs of Kim Jong Il during firing practice. That practice has been discontinued.