North Korea will “adopt additional military measures” in the face of what Pyongyang sees as the U.S. “reinforcing its military strength” close to the secretive nation, according to the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un.
Why It Matters
North Korea has turned away from a long-held path of reunification with the South; the two countries are technically still at war decades after a 1953 armistice agreement ended the three-year Korean War. South Korea’s government has said it hopes to reduce tensions with the North, aspirations Pyongyang appears to have dismissed.
Pyongyang has drawn closer to Russia and China as it forged ahead with an intensive military buildup and weapons development programs, including its nuclear capabilities. Western officials and experts believe Russia offered a helping hand in its military programs, and Pyongyang is sharply critical of U.S. ties to South Korea and Japan—countries looking on with deep anxiety at the North’s burgeoning nuclear arsenal, intercontinental ballistic missile tests and showcasing of hypersonic designs.
What To Know
“In direct proportion to the U.S. military’s arms buildup in the ROK region, our strategic concern about this region has also grown, and accordingly we have assigned our special assets to the major targets of our concern,” Kim said in a speech reported by North Korean state media.
ROK, or Republic of Korea, is South Korea’s official title. Seoul is a major ally of the U.S. and roughly 28,500 U.S. troops are permanently stationed on the divided peninsula. The two countries have held several joint drills in the last few months, including the Freedom Edge exercises—which included Japan—that wrapped up on September 19. The U.S. Air Force last month established a permanent MQ-9 Reaper drone squadron in South Korea.
Kim said the ties between Washington and Seoul are “making rapid progress,” including by carrying out military exercises.
“Recently, the United States is taking measures for expanding the stockpile of its military assets in and around the ROK, posing a real and serious threat to the security of our country and others in the region,” Kim said, and claimed the U.S. is preparing to ensure it can launch “preemptive strikes” against the secretive nation.
“The enemy, I think, will have to worry about which direction their security environment is moving in,” Kim said while speaking at a defense industry event marking the run-up the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea. He did not elaborate, but said the event provided a “visual display” of Pyongyang’s capabilities.
A major military parade to mark the 80th anniversary is planned for October 10. South Korean intelligence reported that tens of thousands of people could attend the event, according to the country’s Yonhap news agency.
“If the United States persists in the dangerous moves of reinforcing its military strength in blatant disregard of the security concerns of the states in the region, the developments will spur us more powerfully to implement the relevant military and technological measures aimed at removing the new threats and maintaining the balance of power,” Kim said. “We will surely adopt additional military measures corresponding to their maneuverings.”
Newsweek has reached out to U.S. Forces Korea via email for comment.
What People Are Saying
Kim Jong Un described North Korea’s nuclear program as the “backbone” of Pyongyang’s armed forces and on an “increasingly modern, advanced footing.”
