The United States on Friday urged North Korea to stop its “bellicose rhetoric” following a naval clash with South Korea days before President Barack Obama's Asia tour. “We would [urge North Korea] to refrain … from that kind of bellicose rhetoric and, in general, avoid any kind of provocative actions that would further inflame the tension in the region,” said State Department spokesman Ian Kelly. Pyongyang's army earlier said in a message to South Korean forces that it would use “merciless military measures” to protect its border.
