{"id":3627,"date":"2023-02-02T10:27:28","date_gmt":"2023-02-02T10:27:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=3627"},"modified":"2023-03-23T18:39:46","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T18:39:46","slug":"north-korea-warns-of-overwhelming-nuclear-power-to-counter-us-threat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/analysis\/defense\/war\/north-korea-warns-of-overwhelming-nuclear-power-to-counter-us-threat\/2023\/02\/02\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"North Korea warns of ‘overwhelming nuclear power’ to counter US threat"},"content":{"rendered":"

SEOUL,<\/span> South<\/span> Korea<\/span> (AP)<\/span> –<\/span>\u00a0North<\/span> Korea<\/span> said<\/span> Thursday<\/span> it<\/span> was<\/span> ready<\/span> to<\/span> counter<\/span> US<\/span> military<\/span> moves<\/span> with<\/span> its<\/span> “most<\/span> overwhelming<\/span> nuclear<\/span> force”.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>A<\/span> Pyongyang<\/span> State<\/span> Department<\/span> statement,<\/span> in<\/span> response<\/span> to<\/span> comments<\/span> by<\/span> US<\/span> Secretary<\/span> of<\/span> Defense<\/span> Lloyd<\/span> Austin,<\/span> said<\/span> in<\/span> Seoul<\/span> on<\/span> Tuesday<\/span> that<\/span> the<\/span> US<\/span> would<\/span> step<\/span> up<\/span> its<\/span> deployment<\/span> of<\/span> advanced<\/span> military<\/span> assets,<\/span> including<\/span> fighter<\/span> planes<\/span> and<\/span> aircraft<\/span> carriers,<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> Korean<\/span> Peninsula.<\/span> It<\/span> grew<\/span> with<\/span> a<\/span> common<\/span> training<\/span> and<\/span> operational<\/span> plan<\/span> with<\/span> South<\/span> Korea.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>South<\/span> Korea’s<\/span> security<\/span> concerns<\/span> have<\/span> increased<\/span> since<\/span> North<\/span> Korea<\/span> tested<\/span> dozens<\/span> of<\/span> missiles,<\/span> including<\/span> potentially<\/span> nuclear-capable<\/span> ones,<\/span> aimed<\/span> at<\/span> hitting<\/span> targets<\/span> in<\/span> South<\/span> Korea<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> US<\/span> mainland<\/span> in<\/span> 2022.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>For<\/span> decades,<\/span> North<\/span> Korea<\/span> has<\/span> called<\/span> joint<\/span> US<\/span> military<\/span> exercises<\/span> and<\/span> South<\/span> Korean<\/span> rehearsals<\/span> a<\/span> possible<\/span> aggression,<\/span> but<\/span> allies<\/span> describe<\/span> these<\/span> exercises<\/span> as<\/span> defensive.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>South<\/span> Korea’s<\/span> defense<\/span> ministry<\/span> said<\/span> Wednesday<\/span> that<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> flew<\/span> B-1B<\/span> bombers<\/span> and<\/span> F-22<\/span> and<\/span> F-35<\/span> fighter<\/span> jets<\/span> in<\/span> exercises<\/span> with<\/span> South<\/span> Korean<\/span> fighter<\/span> jets<\/span> in<\/span> South<\/span> Korea’s<\/span> western<\/span> waters.<\/span> The<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> and<\/span> South<\/span> Korea<\/span> are<\/span> also<\/span> planning<\/span> a<\/span> joint<\/span> simulation<\/span> this<\/span> month<\/span> to<\/span> strengthen<\/span> their<\/span> response<\/span> if<\/span> North<\/span> Korea<\/span> uses<\/span> its<\/span> nuclear<\/span> weapons.<\/span> North<\/span> Korea’s<\/span> statement<\/span> points<\/span> to<\/span> another<\/span> series<\/span> of<\/span> provocative<\/span> gun<\/span> demonstrations<\/span> in<\/span> 2023,<\/span> just<\/span> as<\/span> North<\/span> Korea<\/span> ramped<\/span> up<\/span> its<\/span> own<\/span> gun<\/span> launches<\/span> in<\/span> 2022<\/span> when<\/span> allies<\/span> resumed<\/span> mass<\/span> training.<\/span> North<\/span> Korea’s<\/span> actions<\/span> included<\/span> a<\/span> series<\/span> of<\/span> missile<\/span> and<\/span> artillery<\/span> launches,<\/span> which<\/span> it<\/span> described<\/span> as<\/span> simulated<\/span> nuclear<\/span> strikes<\/span> against<\/span> South<\/span> Korean<\/span> and<\/span> US<\/span> targets.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>South<\/span> Korea’s<\/span> foreign<\/span> ministry<\/span> spokesman<\/span> Ahn<\/span> Eun-joo<\/span> said<\/span> North<\/span> Korea’s<\/span> expanding<\/span> nuclear<\/span> arsenal<\/span> and<\/span> missile<\/span> program<\/span> and<\/span> verbal<\/span> threats<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/span> preemptive<\/span> nuclear<\/span> strike<\/span> have<\/span> forced<\/span> Seoul<\/span> to<\/span> respond<\/span> harshly<\/span> to<\/span> ensure<\/span> the<\/span> protection<\/span> of<\/span> its<\/span> citizens.<\/span>\u00a0
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>South<\/span> Korea’s<\/span> Defense<\/span> Ministry<\/span> spokesman<\/span> Chung<\/span> Ha<\/span> Gyu<\/span> said<\/span> recent<\/span> coalition<\/span> air<\/span> exercises<\/span> were<\/span> aimed<\/span> at<\/span> demonstrating<\/span> the<\/span> credibility<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States’<\/span> “enhanced<\/span> deterrence”,<\/span> including<\/span> nuclear<\/span> weapons.<\/span> He<\/span> mentioned<\/span> a<\/span> commitment<\/span> to<\/span> use<\/span> the<\/span> full<\/span> range<\/span> of<\/span> military<\/span> capabilities<\/span>.<\/span>He<\/span> declined<\/span> to<\/span> reveal<\/span> the<\/span> exact<\/span> number<\/span> of<\/span> US<\/span> and<\/span> South<\/span> Korean<\/span> aircraft<\/span> that<\/span> took<\/span> part<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> exercises.<\/span> South<\/span> Korea<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> have<\/span> also<\/span> stepped<\/span> up<\/span> security<\/span> cooperation<\/span> with<\/span> Japan,<\/span> most<\/span> recently<\/span> including<\/span> provocative<\/span> ongoing<\/span> trilateral<\/span> anti-missile<\/span> and<\/span> anti-submarine<\/span> warfare<\/span> exercises<\/span> in<\/span> North<\/span> Korea’s<\/span> weapons<\/span> tests.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>With<\/span> North<\/span> Korean<\/span> leader<\/span> Kim<\/span> Jong-un<\/span> set<\/span> to<\/span> double<\/span> down<\/span> on<\/span> his<\/span> nuclear<\/span> ambitions,<\/span> tensions<\/span> could<\/span> escalate<\/span> further.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>At<\/span> a<\/span> policy<\/span> meeting<\/span> in<\/span> December,<\/span> Kim<\/span> said<\/span> he<\/span> wanted<\/span> an<\/span> “exponential<\/span> increase”<\/span> in<\/span> nuclear<\/span> warheads,<\/span> mass<\/span> production<\/span> of<\/span> battlefield<\/span> tactical<\/span> nuclear<\/span> weapons<\/span> targeting<\/span> South<\/span> Korea,<\/span> and<\/span> a<\/span> stronger<\/span> military<\/span> aimed<\/span> at<\/span> reaching<\/span> the<\/span> US<\/span> mainland.<\/span> He<\/span> called<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> development<\/span> of<\/span> ranged<\/span> missiles.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Experts<\/span> say<\/span> Kim’s<\/span> nuclear<\/span> push<\/span> is<\/span> aimed<\/span> at<\/span> getting<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> to<\/span> accept<\/span> the<\/span> idea<\/span> that<\/span> North<\/span> Korea<\/span> is<\/span> a<\/span> nuclear<\/span> state,<\/span> so<\/span> that<\/span> it<\/span> can<\/span> negotiate<\/span> necessary<\/span> economic<\/span> concessions<\/span> from<\/span> a<\/span> position<\/span> of<\/span> power.<\/span> North<\/span> Korea’s<\/span> nuclear<\/span> talks<\/span> stalled<\/span> in<\/span> 2019<\/span> over<\/span> disagreements<\/span> over<\/span> easing<\/span> US-led<\/span> economic<\/span> sanctions<\/span> against<\/span> North<\/span> Korea<\/span> in<\/span> exchange<\/span> for<\/span> steps<\/span> to<\/span> halt<\/span> its<\/span> nuclear<\/span> weapons<\/span> and<\/span> missile<\/span> programs.<\/span> A<\/span> North<\/span> Korean<\/span> spokesman<\/span> said<\/span> Washington<\/span> had<\/span> no<\/span> interest<\/span> in<\/span> contacting<\/span> or<\/span> dialogue<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> as<\/span> long<\/span> as<\/span> North<\/span> Korea<\/span> maintains<\/span> a<\/span> “hostile<\/span> policy<\/span> and<\/span> confrontational<\/span> line,”<\/span> and<\/span> Washington<\/span> has<\/span> “unilaterally<\/span> disarmed”<\/span> North<\/span> Korea.<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) –\u00a0North Korea said Thursday it was ready to counter US military moves with its “most overwhelming nuclear force”. A Pyongyang State Department statement, in response to comments by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, said in Seoul on Tuesday that the US would step up its deployment of advanced military assets, […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3628,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[276,24,26,2425,2428],"tags":[547,952,77,104,150],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/NORTHKOREA.webp","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3627"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3627"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3627\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3630,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3627\/revisions\/3630"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}