SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has warned that he is prepared to use his nuclear weapons in possible military conflicts with the United States and South Korea, state media said Thursday , as he unleashed fiery rhetoric against rivals he says are pushing the Korean peninsula to the brink of war.
Kim’s speech to war veterans on the 69th anniversary of the end of the 1950-53 Korean War appeared to be aimed at boosting domestic unity in the impoverished country amid economic hardships linked to the pandemic. Although Kim has increasingly threatened his rivals with nuclear weapons, he is unlikely to use them first against senior US military personnel and its allies, observers say.
“Our armed forces are fully prepared to respond to any crisis, and our country’s nuclear war deterrent is also ready to mobilize its absolute power in a mandatory, accurate and rapid manner consistent with its mission,” he said. Kim said in Wednesday’s speech, according to the Korean official. Central News Agency.
He accused the United States of “demonizing” North Korea to justify its hostile policies. He said US and South Korean military exercises targeting North Korea show the “double standards” and “gangster” aspects of the US as it qualifies North Korea’s routine military activities, an apparent reference to its missile tests, as provocations or threats.
Kim also alleged that the new South Korean government of President Yoon Suk Yeol is run by “confrontational maniacs” and “gangsters” who have gone further than previous conservative South Korean governments. Since taking office in May, the Yoon government has moved to strengthen Seoul’s military alliance with the United States and bolster its ability to neutralize North Korea’s nuclear threats, including a pre-emptive strike capability .
“Talking about military action against our nation, which possesses the most feared absolute weapons, is absurd and a very dangerous suicidal action,” Kim said. “Such a dangerous attempt will be immediately punished by our mighty force and Yoon Suk Yeol’s government and his army will be annihilated.”
Moon Hong-sik, deputy spokesman for South Korea’s Ministry of Defense, on Thursday reiterated an earlier position that South Korea has been increasing its military capability and joint defense posture with the United States to deal with the escalation of North Korea’s nuclear threats. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the military maintains a firm disposition.
In April, Kim said North Korea could preemptively use nuclear weapons if threatened, saying they would “never limit themselves to the sole mission of war deterrence.” Kim’s military has also test-fired nuclear-capable missiles that put both the US mainland and South Korea within striking distance. US and South Korean officials have repeatedly said in recent months that North Korea is ready to conduct its first nuclear test in five years.
Kim is seeking greater public support as his country’s economy has been hit by pandemic-related border closures, US-led sanctions and his own mismanagement. In May, North Korea also admitted to its first outbreak of COVID-19, although the scale of the illness and death is widely disputed in a country that lacks the modern medical capacity to handle it.
“Kim’s rhetoric inflates external threats to justify his military-focused, economically struggling regime,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. “North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs violate international law, but Kim tries to portray his build-up of destabilizing weapons as a righteous effort of self-defense.”
Experts say North Korea is likely to step up its threats against the United States and South Korea as the allies prepare to expand summer drills. In recent years, the militaries of South Korea and the United States have canceled or scaled back some of their regular exercises due to concerns about COVID-19 and to support the now stalled U.S.-led diplomacy with the ‘aimed at persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear program in exchange for economic and political benefits.
During Wednesday’s speech, Kim said his government recently set tasks to improve its military capability more quickly to respond to military pressure campaigns by its enemies, suggesting he intends to go ahead with a test expected nuclear
But Cheong Seong-Chang of South Korea’s private Sejong Institute said North Korea is unlikely to conduct its nuclear test before China, its main ally and biggest aid benefactor, holds its Communist Party convention in the fall. He said China is concerned that a North Korean nuclear test could give the United States a justification for boosting its security partnerships with its allies that it could use to check Chinese influence in the region.
North Korea recently said it is moving to overcome the COVID-19 outbreak amid a drop in fever cases, but experts say it is unclear whether the country can lift its tight restrictions soon because it could face- se to a viral resurgence later this year. During Wednesday’s event, Kim, veterans and others did not wear masks, shown photos by state media. On Thursday, North Korea reported 11 cases of the fever, a big drop from a peak of about 400,000 a day in May.
North Korea has rejected US and South Korean offers of medical aid items. He has also said he will not return to talks with the United States unless it first abandons its hostile policies toward the North, in an apparent reference to U.S.-led sanctions and U.S.-South Korean military exercises.