North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has issued a stark warning to the United States and South Korea, stating that his military would “thoroughly annihilate” both countries if they engage in provocations against the North. This latest declaration comes as part of a surge in aggressive rhetoric and a vow to bolster national defense capabilities in the face of what Pyongyang perceives as intensified US-led confrontational strategies.
In recent months, North Korea has escalated its warlike language, a response to the expansion of military drills by the US and South Korea. The North Korean leader’s comments were part of a directive to army officers, underlining the need to fortify what he calls “the treasured sword” of the nation’s security—a likely reference to North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. He has outlined plans to launch additional military spy satellites, manufacture more nuclear materials, and develop attack drones within the year. These steps are viewed by observers as attempts to increase North Korea’s leverage in potential future negotiations with the United States.
The heightened tensions and bellicose exchanges come after an increase in joint US-South Korean military exercises, which Pyongyang views as a direct threat. Over the last year, North Korea has conducted over 100 missile tests, which has further motivated the US and South Korea to strengthen their military cooperation.
The North Korean leader’s comments did not go unanswered. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, in his New Year’s address, emphasized the importance of enhancing South Korea’s preemptive strike capabilities, missile defenses, and retaliatory potential in response to the North’s nuclear threats. President Yoon advocates for “genuine, lasting peace through strength,” emphasizing South Korea’s determination to defend itself without relying on the goodwill of its northern adversary.
“The Republic of Korea is building genuine, lasting peace through strength, not a submissive peace that is dependent on the goodwill of the adversary,” Yoon said, using South Korea’s official name.
In a retaliatory tone, the South Korean Defense Ministry has warned that any attempt by North Korea to use nuclear weapons would be met with overwhelming force by South Korean and US militaries, a response that could spell the end of the Kim regime.
Amid these threats and counter-threats, inter-Korean relations remain in a state of deadlock, with Pyongyang indicating a restructuring or disbandment of its organizations dealing with relations with South Korea. The objective appears to be a fundamental shift in the North’s strategy against the South. However, the specifics of this change remain unclear.
At the party meeting, Kim called South Korea “a hemiplegic malformation and colonial subordinate state” whose society is “tainted by Yankee culture.” He said his military must use all available means including nuclear weapons to “suppress the whole territory of South Korea” in the event of a conflict.
KCNA said Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged New Year’s Day messages Monday on bolstering bilateral ties. North Korea faces suspicions that it supplied conventional arms for Russia’s war in Ukraine in return for sophisticated Russian technologies to enhance the North’s military programs.
Estimates of the size of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal vary, ranging from about 20-30 bombs to more than 100. Many foreign experts say North Korea still has some technological hurdles to overcome to produce functioning nuclear-armed ICBMs, though its shorter-range nuclear-capable missiles can reach South Korea and Japan.
In a retaliatory tone, the South Korean Defense Ministry has warned that any attempt by North Korea to use nuclear weapons would be met with overwhelming force by South Korean and US militaries, a response that could spell the end of the Kim regime.
Amid these threats and counter-threats, inter-Korean relations remain in a state of deadlock, with Pyongyang indicating a restructuring or disbandment of its organizations dealing with relations with South Korea. The objective appears to be a fundamental shift in the North’s strategy against the South. However, the specifics of this change remain unclear.
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