North Korea on Friday threatened to respond with “unprecedented force” to joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea that it considers “preparation for war.”
“She [Estados Unidos e Coreia do Sul] will face unprecedented and forceful (…) countermeasures,” the Pyongyang foreign ministry said in a statement, referring to the joint military exercises.
The United States and South Korea plan to analyze the responses and measures to be implemented “in case North Korea uses nuclear weapons” during the military exercises that will take place next week in Washington.
Since last year, the Seoul government has doubled South Korea’s military development efforts.
In 2022, Kim Jong-un declared that South Korea’s status as a “nuclear power” is “irreversible”, having conducted regular nuclear tests, namely with intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), despite sanctions against Pyongyang.
The joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea provoke a reaction from Pyongyang, as they are “movements” aimed at “an invasion”.
Yang Moo-jin, a professor of North Korean Studies at Seoul University, told France Presse that Pyongyang’s stance reflected the importance of military exercises.
According to the academic, the exercises should make it possible to assess the extent to which the North American nuclear arsenal will be effective in deterring North Korea.
Source: DN
