SEOUL, South Korea aEUR
North Korea has always cited the hostility of the United States and its allies to be a reason for pursuing a nuclear programme. As part of its provocative weapons test this year, North Korea’s neighbors said Sunday that the country is prepared for its first nuclear attack in five years.
The prevailing situation calls for strengthening the country’s defense in order to respond to the rapidly aggravation in the security environment on the Korean Peninsula and around the world,” said the North Korean Foreign Ministry in a statement. It did not elaborate how it would increase its military capabilities.
The statement was made in protest at a trilateral meeting between the U.S. and South Korean leaders, which took place on the sidelines a NATO summit last Wednesday. During this meeting, they stressed the need for greater cooperation to combat North Korean nuclear threats.
The statement stated that the U.S., Japan, and South Korea’s chief executives met to discuss North Korea and the dangerous joint military countermeasures. They also discussed how to confront it.
North Korea sees U.S.-led military drills in the region with South Korea as an invasion rehearsal. However, Washington and Seoul repeatedly stated they do not intend to attack the North.
The U.S. President Joe Biden stated that he is “deeply concerned about North Korea’s ongoing ballistic missile testing and possible plans to conduct nuclear tests during the recent trilateral meeting. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stated that trilateral cooperation is more important in light of North Korea’s nuclear-proven capabilities. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kirishida also said that joint anti-missile drills are necessary to deter North Korean threats.
In June, defense chiefs from the U.S. and South Korea agreed to resume joint missile warning and tracking exercises in an effort to counter North Korea’s increasing weapons testing.
According to the North Korean statement, the United States was accused of exaggerating threats from North Korea “to give an excuse for achieving military supremacy in the Asia-Pacific region, including the Korean Peninsula.”
Officials from the United States have stated that Washington does not harbor hostile intentions toward Pyongyang, and they urged Pyongyang to resume disarmament negotiations without preconditions. North Korea rejected the U.S. offer and said it would concentrate on strengthening its nuclear deterrent without the United States dropping its hostile policies towards the North. This apparent reference to U.S. economic sanctions and regular military training with South Korea, was not taken seriously.
North Korea claims that the NATO summit proved the U.S.’s plan to contain Russia, China and create a NATO-like alliance in Asia by “militarizing Europe”. According to North Korea, “the reckless military actions of the U.S. along with its vassal force” could have dangerous consequences such as a simultaneous nuclear war in Europe and Asia-Pacific.
Pyongyang has frequently used similar rhetoric to warn of nuclear war during times of increased animosity with Washington and Seoul.
