The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, He asked his high military command to use maximum force against South Korea and the United States if they begin an armed confrontation, the state press reported today.
In a meeting with military leaders in the capital Pyongyang on the eve of the New Year, Kim said his armed forces must “annihilate” the enemy in case of being provoked, the KCNA news agency reported.
“If the enemy chooses military confrontation against the DPRK (North Korea), our army must deal a mortal blow to completely annihilate them by mobilizing the stronger means without hesitation”, said Kim, according to statements reproduced by the AFP news agency.
Seoul and Washington intensified defense cooperation in the face of the wave of weapons tests carried out by the North last year.
Kim’s statement recalls the threats he made in end of year meetings of his party about a nuclear attack against Seoul and the orders to shore up the war arsenal in preparation for a war, which in his opinion could “break out at any moment.”
The threat against the US
During the meetings ofThe Workers’ Party of Korea, Kim accused the United States of being a “military threat” and called on the military to “suppress all South Korean territory, mobilizing all physical means… including nuclear forces” in the event of an armed confrontation.
He advanced that will not seek reconciliation and reunification with Seoul due to the “uncontrollable crisis” that, according to him, South Korea and the United States caused.
For his part, the South Korean president, Yoon Suk-yeol, He promised to respond to the North’s military provocations, with an expanded deterrence system with Washington that will come into effect at the beginning of 2024.
In his New Year’s message, Yoon said that system “will fundamentally deter any nuclear threat and North Korean missiles.
Kim Jong-un’s New Year’s celebration
Kim Jong-un celebrated the New Year attending a show at Pyongyang’s colossal May 1 Stadium, accompanied by his wife and daughter, state media reported.
Images from the official KCTV network show the North Korean leader and his family being greeted by cheers from tens of thousands of spectators. The 1 de Mayo stadium would have a capacity for up to 150,000 spectators, which would make it the largest in the world.
The show marked the beginning of the New Year, with bells ringing at twelve and a spectacle of Fireworks, KCNA reported.
Source: Ambito
