PYONGYANG (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, has stated that his country is prepared to mobilise its nuclear war deterrent.
Speaking at an anniversary of the Korean War, Mr. Kim also said that the nation was totally prepared for any military confrontation with the US, reported the state news agency KCNA.
The remarks come amid worries that North Korea may be getting ready for its seventh nuclear test.
The US issued a warning last month about Pyongyang potentially conducting a test.
2017 saw North Korea conduct its most recent nuclear test. On the Korean peninsula, however, tensions have been increasing.
According to Sung Kim, the US’s special representative to North Korea, the country has tested unprecedented numbers of missiles this year, 31 as compared to 25 during the whole course of 2019, which was a record breaking year.
In response, South Korea fired eight of its own missiles in June.
North Korea declares victory over the US in the 1950–1953 Korean War, despite the fact that it ended in a truce. Military parades, pyrotechnics, dancing and fireworks highlight the yearly “Victory Day” celebrations.
In his speech to commemorate the occasion, Mr. Kim stated that North Korea must complete the “urgent historical task” of strengthening its self-defence due to nuclear threats from the US.
He noted that the US had mischaracterized North Korea’s routine military drills as provocations.
Mr. Kim also seemed to respond to rumours that South Korea is reviving a strategy to counter the nuclear threat from North Korea by undertaking preventative strikes in the case of an impending attack.
Pre-emptive strikes against Pyongyang’s missiles and possibly its top leadership are recommended by the so-called “Kill Chain” policy, which was first elaborated a decade ago.
Some analysts believe that it comes with its own dangers and might spark an arms race.
Mr. Kim declared during the Victory Day celebration that if pre-emptive strikes were carried out, the government and military of South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol would be obliterated.
Is North Korea on the verge of war?
It’s really unsettling to hear Kim Jong-Un warn that the Korean peninsula is on the verge of war. However, North Korean rhetoric may be quite abrasive, especially around important anniversaries.
It shows how enraged the North Korean leadership is with Yoon Suk-yeol, South Korea’s new president.
President Yoon has outlined a new, more robust defence policy since he became the president in May. If Seoul feels Pyongyang is about to launch a nuclear attack on it, it would allow South Korean forces to strike the North before Pyongyang could.
With the use of this so-called “Kill Chain” approach, South Korea would be able to attack North Korean targets beforehand with ballistic missiles and airstrikes, including destroying their command and control centres. Attempting to kill Kim Jong-Un directly, to put it in other words.
Pyongyang is also dissatisfied with Washington’s lack of involvement ever since President Biden took over for Donald Trump.
All of these might indicate that the North is planning an intentional escalation of the situation.
In the near future, everyone anticipates that Pyongyang will conduct its seventh underground nuclear test. The Punggye-ri test site has been getting ready since March.
