North Korea is prepared to wage a “holy war” against South Korean President Lee Myung Bak’s government and would take “special action” against targets that could include central Seoul, an unidentified spokesman of the supreme command of the Korean People’s Army said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

Lee’s government insulted celebrations in Pyongyang of state founder Kim Il Sung’s 100th birth anniversary on April 15 by “orchestrating” an anti-North Korea protest in Seoul that day, the spokesman said.

North Korea often issues statements threatening war.