N. Korea threatens ‘powerful nuclear deterrence’
SEOUL, July 24 AFP - North Korea on Saturday threatened a “powerful
nuclear deterrence” in response to joint US-South Korean naval exercises
starting this weekend, Pyongyang’s state media said.
North Korea was prepared for a “retaliatory sacred war”, the North’s
National Defence Commission (NDC) said in a statement, carried by the
official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The United States and South Korea have announced joint naval
exercises, beginning on Sunday, in what they have described as a bid to
deter North Korea’s “aggressive” behaviour.
“All these war manoeuvres are nothing but outright provocations aimed
to stifle the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) by
force of arms to all intents and purposes,” the NDC said.
“The army and people of the DPRK will legitimately counter with their
powerful nuclear deterrence the largest-ever nuclear war exercises to be
staged by the US and the South Korean puppet forces.” The comments came
after North Korea on Friday threatened a “physical response” to the
exercises while the United States accused Pyongyang of waging a campaign
of provocation.
The war of words dominated an Asia-Pacific security forum summit in
Hanoi attended by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and North Korean
Foreign Minister Pak Ui-Chun on Friday.
Tension is high on the Korean peninsula over the sinking of a South
Korean warship in March, which claimed 46 lives. South Korea and the
United States, citing findings from a probe involving local and foreign
experts as well, accuse the North of torpedoing the warship near the
disputed Yellow Sea border. North Korea denies involvement.
In a show of force, the two allies announced a major joint naval
exercise starting Sunday for a four-day run, involving 200 aircraft and
20 ships including an aircraft carrier in the Sea of Japan (East Sea).
The South’s defence ministry said it would be the first in a series
of about 10 joint naval drills in coming months.
The United States also announced further sanctions aimed at stopping
the cash-strapped North from selling nuclear weapons or related material
as well as blocking money laundering and other illicit activities.
But the NDC on Saturday warned that the North, which carried out its
first atomic test in 2006, would build up its own nuclear deterrence.
“The more desperately the US imperialists brandish their nukes and
the more zealously their lackeys follow them, the more rapidly the
DPRK’s nuclear deterrence will be bolstered up ... and the more remote
the prospect for the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula will be
become,” it said.
North Korea last year stormed out of six-nation talks in which it had
agreed to end its nuclear programme in return for security guarantees
and aid. |