North Korea warns of merciless strike ahead of US-South Korea drills
News24xx.com - North Korea warned Sunday that the upcoming US-South Korea military exercises are reckless behavior driving the situation into the uncontrollable phase of a nuclear war.
Pyongyang also declared that its army can target the United States anytime, and neither Guam, Hawaii nor the US mainland can dodge the merciless strike.
The messages in Rodong Sinmun, the official government newspaper, come a day before the US starts the Ulchi Freedom Guardian military exercises with South Korea.
Tensions between the US and North Korea have grown in recent weeks.
Just last week, Pyongyang said it had finalized a plan to fire four missiles toward the US territory of Guam. State media reported that leader Kim Jong Un would assess the US' next move before giving launch orders.
Kim would watch a little more the foolish and stupid conduct of the Yankees, a North Korean statement said last week.
But US military and Trump administration officials said the 10-day military exercises set to begin Monday, would go ahead as scheduled.
The annual drills antagonize Pyongyang, which sees them as practice for an invasion. However, the US and South Korea maintain they are purely defensive.
"The Trump group's declaration of the reckless nuclear war exercises against the DPRK ... is a reckless behavior driving the situation into the uncontrollable phase of a nuclear war," Rodong Sinmun said, using the acronym for Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the nation's official name.
It described North Korea as the "strongest possessor" of intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of striking the US mainland from anywhere.
"The Korean People's Army is keeping a high alert, fully ready to contain the enemies. It will take resolute steps the moment even a slight sign of the preventive war is spotted," it said.
It did not provide any details on what it meant by "preventive war."
Both US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense James Mattis said last week that the US was keeping military options on the table in dealing with North Korea.
Tillerson said peaceful diplomatic pressure was the preferred way to get Pyongyang to stop its testing of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles.
But he added that the diplomatic approach has to be backed with military threat if North Korea chooses to move forward with destabilizing actions.
Mattis also made clear the US' willingness to use force if North Korea steps out of line.
-
Aug 03, 2020 | 05:02 pm LT
Sri Lanka polls to go ahead despite the spread of ...
-
Aug 03, 2020 | 09:10 am LT
Keep Friendship Well; Jokowi Called King Salman: H...
-
Aug 02, 2020 | 09:44 pm LT
Thousands demand Netanyahu resignation as Israel P...
-
Jul 12, 2020 | 11:20 pm LT
Mali's opposition rejected concessions by Presiden...
-
Jul 01, 2020 | 09:54 am LT
Compared to Other Presidents, Spokesperson Gusdur ...
-
Jun 05, 2020 | 10:30 am LT
Coinciding With the Tiananmen Memorial in China, U...
-
Aug 16, 2020 | 05:06 am LT
Attack of Racism; Give Salute in the style of Nazi...
-
Aug 09, 2020 | 11:50 am LT
Viral Story of an old woman in Indramayu who almos...
-
Aug 09, 2020 | 10:55 am LT
Mark Zuckerberg has joined the world's most exclus...
-
Aug 09, 2020 | 10:45 am LT
Revealed! It turns out that this is the origin of ...
-
Aug 09, 2020 | 10:42 am LT
Severe! A Woman in South Tangerang is Raped After ...
-
Aug 09, 2020 | 09:34 am LT
Dor! This Man's Intestine Explodes After Eating A ...