SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's military said on Wednesday it was fully prepared to strike back at the North if its neighbor uses military force, a day after Pyongyang threatened to scrap the armistice agreement ending the 1950-53 Korean War.

"If North Korea undertakes provocation and threatens the lives and safety of our people, we make it clear that we have all preparations in place for a strong and decisive punishment not only against the source of the aggression and its support forces but also the commanding element," a major general of the South Korean military told a press conference.

(Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by David Chance)