North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday slammed South Korea’s joint military exercises with the US underway in the Korean Peninsula, saying they are willing to 'ignite a war' in the region.
He made these comments while observing an integrated operation of weapons systems of the North’s 5,000-tonne destroyer, the Choe Hyon, on Monday. Kim's Sister, who runs the party's media and PR wing, has ruled out any negotiations with the new South Korean government aimed at normalisation of the relations.
She said, “There is nothing that the two sides could discuss, because there will be no normalisation of ties.” On Monday South Korean military began 10-day joint military exercises, which the leaders said are aimed at preparing a “contingency for North Korea in case of potential conflict”.
"The joint military exercises between the US and South Korea, which are being conducted again from today, are a clear expression of their stance that clearly shows their intention to be the most hostile and confrontational toward the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," Kim told reporters on Tuesday.
He said the exercises have grown more provocative as the two sides have included a “nuclear element”, requiring North Korea to respond with “proactive and overwhelming” countermeasures. The large-scale exercise is being held alongside a four-day civil defence exercise that runs through Thursday, mobilising about 580,000 civilians.
Keep in mind that the United States has long demanded denuclearisation of North Korea, which, according to Washington, poses a grave threat to the region and, well, the United States. Pyongyang maintains some 50-odd nuclear weapons. North Korea is one of the few elite nations that possesses a nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the US mainland.
A spark could ignite a full-scale war between the South and the North, as the two nations remain on edge since their division.
Also Read: Kim Jong Un orders military to prepare for possible war
Follow us
