North Korea looks to South for backing

SEOUL: Seeing an opportunity in widespread anti-American sentiment in South Korea, North Korea urged the South yesterday to prevent war by backing the North in its confrontation with the United States over nuclear weapons development. 

“It is an urgent national task to avert the danger of war and preserve peace on the Korean Peninsula,” the communist North said in a New Year’s message which accused the United States of preparing to launch a “pre-emptive nuclear attack.”