BEIJING — South Korean President Lee Myung-bak issued a scathing condemnation of the North Korean regime Monday and announced trade restrictions that ratcheted tensions to their highest level in years on the Korean peninsula, which is home to more than 25,000 U.S. troops. The White House said in a statement that it fully backed Lee, and that President Barack Obama ‘has directed his military commanders to coordinate closely with their Republic of Korea counterparts to ensure readiness and to deter future aggression.’ In a national address, Lee said North Korean ships no longer would be allowed in South Korean-controlled waters and that almost all inter-Korean trade was being canceled. The moves followed a South Korean investigation that held North Korea responsible for torpedoing a South Korean warship in March and killing 46 sailors. While most experts say that neither side wants war _ the erratic regime of Kim Jong Il has a nuclear weapons program, and South Korea has U.S. military backing _ there’s no denying the heightened sense of risk. The two countries never signed a peace treaty formally ending hostilities after their 1950-53 war. ‘The tension is very high … but […]