North Korea is once again threatening to use nuclear weapons against the United States if it would not cancel the multinational military exercise scheduled on Monday.
The United States and South Korea together with their allies are conducting an annual military exercise called Ulchi Freedom Guardian, to “enhance CFC readiness, protect the region and maintain stability on the Korean peninsula.”
The South Korea-United States Combined Forces Command pointed out that the Ulchi Freedom Guardian is not connected to any current world events. The United Nations Command Sending States including Australia, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom are part of the military exercise.
Every year, North Korea is making war threats against the United States and South Korea when the Ulchi Freedom Guardian is conducted.
North Korea says it is an invincible power
This time, North Korea said it would use “tremendous muscle” to retaliate against the United States. A spokesman for the National Defense Commission (NDC) of North Korea said the Ulchi Freedom Guardian military exercise are intensified and the strongest military counteraction to be handled by the country.
The NDC spokesperson added that North Korea is no longer the same as before that it had only rifles to counter the nuclear weapons of the United States. According to him, Noth Korea currently is an “invincible power equipped with latest and offensive means unknown to the world including nuclear deterrence.”
Separately, a newscaster for KCNA, North Korea’s state media said, “If [the] United States wants their mainland to be safe, then the Ulchi Freedom Guardian should stop immediately.”
North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un has been saying that his country is no longer afraid of the United States. During a recent speech in Pyongyang, Mr. Kim said, “Gone forever is the era when the United States blackmailed us with a nuke. Now, the United States is no longer a source of threat and fear for us, and we are the very source of fear for it.”
On the other hand, North Korea’s Army General Army General Pak Yong Sik said they will fight until the end of their lives if provoked.
North Korea recently warned of Second Korean War
Ri Dong II, a spokesman fo the Foreign Ministry of North Korea, warned of the possibility of a second Korean War and criticized the U.S. hegemony in Asia during the ASEAN Summit.
“If the United States continues to strengthen [the U.S.-South Korea] military alliance, engage in large-scale buildup of arms, and use North Korea as an excuse, a Second Korean War is inevitable,” according to Mr. Ri.
He added that North Korea has no choice but to resort to measures of self-defense to protect its sovereignty and its people from nuclear disaster. He claimed that there was a possibility for his country to conduct further nuclear tests depending on U.S. attitudes.
North Korea Supreme Leader just wants to grab attention
A State Department official said they are aware of the North Korea’s threats. The official emphasized that the United States’ military exercises and transparent and defense-minded to increase the readiness of South Korea and the region.
“These exercises are a clear demonstration of the U.S. commitment to the alliance,” according to the official.
Meanwhile a former Army General who participated in previous military exercises commented that North Korea’s threat against the United States is nothing more than a complaint of the young tyrant who probably feels marginalized by a more serious foe.
A former Army general who participated in previous Ulchi exercises said it’s nothing more than the bluster of the young tyrant who perhaps feels marginalized by more serious foes.
Retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertlin, who is now a national security analyst for CNN said, “One of the key propaganda goals of the young leader is to just get on the radar of with all the other things we’re focused on — ISIS, al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, Russia and Ukraine, etc. Kim Jong-un wants to ensure he grabs attention.
