North Korea’s Kim Jong-un threatens to use nuclear weapons amid tensions with US, South Korea
- Kim’s speech on the 69th anniversary of the end of the Korean war was meant to boost unity in the country suffering pandemic-related economic issues
- Kim accused the US of ‘demonising’ North Korea to justify its hostile policies, and said US-South Korea military drills show US ‘double standards’
Kim’s speech to war veterans on the 69th anniversary of the end of the 1950-53 Korean war were apparently meant to boost internal unity in the impoverished country suffering pandemic-related economic difficulties. North Korea is likely to intensify its threats against the United States and South Korea as the allies prepare to expand summertime exercises the North views as an invasion rehearsal, some observers say.
“Our armed forces are completely prepared to respond to any crisis, and our country’s nuclear war deterrent is also ready to mobilise its absolute power dutifully, exactly and swiftly in accordance with its mission,” Kim said in Wednesday’s speech, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.
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He accused the United States of “demonising” North Korea to justify its hostile policies. He said US-South Korea military drills show the US’s “double standards” and “gangster-like” aspects because it brands North Korea’s routine military activities – an apparent reference to its missile tests – as provocations or threats.
“Talking about military action against our nation, which possess absolute weapons that they fear the most, is preposterous and is very dangerous suicidal action,” Kim said. “Such a dangerous attempt will be immediately punished by our powerful strength and the Yoon Suk-yeol government and his military will be annihilated.”
Yoon’s office expressed deep regret over Kim’s “menacing” remarks, saying South Korea is capable of “strongly and effectively” responding to any provocations at any time.
“We once again urge North Korea to take the path of dialogue to achieve substantive denuclearisation and peace,” Yoon’s spokeswoman Kang In-sun told a briefing.
This year, Kim has been increasingly threatening its rivals with his advancing nuclear programme in what some foreign experts say is an attempt to wrest outside concessions and achieve greater domestic unity.
In April, Kim said North Korea could preemptively use nuclear weapons if threatened, saying they would “never be confined to the single mission of war deterrent.” Kim’s military has also test-launched nuclear-capable missiles that place both the US mainland and South Korea within striking distance.
“Kim’s rhetoric inflates external threats to justify his militarily focused and economically struggling regime,” Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said. “North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes are in violation of international law, but Kim tries to depict his destabilising arms build-up as a righteous effort at self-defence.”
North Korea has rejected US and South Korean offers to resume talks, saying its rivals must first abandon its hostile polices on the North in an apparent reference to US-led sanctions and US-South Korean military drills.
South Korea’s Defence Ministry said last week that this year’s summertime military drills with the United States would involve field training for the first time since 2018 along with the existing computer-simulated tabletop exercises.
In recent years, the South Korean and US militaries have cancelled or downsized some of their regular exercises due to concerns about Covid-19 and to support now-stalled US-led diplomacy aimed at convincing North Korea to give up its nuclear programme in return for economic and political benefits.
