South Korea ? North Korea ordered its armed forces on standby and warned today it will retaliate against anyone seeking to block its planned satellite launch, which many fear will disguise a missile test.

The threat was the North’s latest attempt to escalate tensions on the divided peninsula and a strong sign that the communist nation intends to push ahead with the launch despite mounting international pressure to drop the plan.

Today’s warning came hours before United States and South Korea kicked off annual war games involving tens of thousands of troops, which the communist nation has condemned as preparations for an invasion.

Also today, Kim Jong Il was unanimously re-elected to North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament, state media said, in elections closely watched for signs of a political shift or hints the autocratic leader is grooming a successor.