North Korea drills for mass evacuations and blackouts
NORTH Korea has been conducting rare mass evacuation and blackout drills in preparation for war, it emerged this weekend.
Multiple sources told NK News that the drills have taken place in secondary and tertiary cities and towns, particularly along the east coast, but not in the capital Pyongyang.
The revelation comes during a time of heightening tensions between the hermit state and the US after a series of nuclear and missile tests, including an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking mainland America.
The threat of a nuclear missile attack by North Korea is accelerating, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said on Saturday during a trip to the South Korean capital, Seoul, to meet Defence Minister Song Young-moo.
“North Korea has accelerated the threat that it poses to its neighbours and the world through its illegal and unnecessary missile and weapons programmes,” he said, adding that US-South Korean military and diplomatic collaboration had taken on “a new urgency”.
Mr Mattis warned the US would never accept a nuclear north and that dictator Kim Jong-un was overmatched by American firepower.
Experts are divided about whether the unusual drills are a sign that the regime feels more threatened than before, or wants to create the perception that it is taking care of its citizens.
“I have never heard of this type of training exercises before in North Korea, but am not surprised,” said Chun In-bum, a recently retired South Korean three-star lieutenant general. “They must realise how serious the situation is.”
But Christopher Green, a PhD candidate at the University of Leiden, Germany, argued that it was unclear “whether genuine security concerns are driving this, or the wish to portray the image of a government that has concerns over security”.
Some analysts argue that fiery statements from US President Donald Trump may have created genuine fear. In September, Mr Trump said he would “totally destroy” North Korea if provoked.
Last night, a military plane designed to spot and identify enemy targets for attack was reported flying at 29,000ft towards North Korea.