Defiant North Korea rolls out big guns
AIDE TO KIM JONG-UN WARNS OF ‘ANNIHILATING’ RESPONSE TO US PROVOCATION AS TENSION ESCALATES
>> PYONGYANG: North Korea yesterday displayed two previously unseen intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)-sized canisters and a range of other new military hardware in a vast parade marking the 105th anniversary of its founding leader’s birth amid growing tensions over its relentless pursuit of enhanced nuclear capabilities.
In the finale of the parade, North Korea showed numerous types of ballistic missiles, long-range or otherwise, after a stream of goose-stepping soldiers and all sorts of tanks and armoured vehicles passed through Kim Il-sung Square, named after the founder, in the heart of Pyongyang.
Submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) were on display for the first time. There was also what appeared to be a landbased medium-to-long-range SLBM variant, known as Pukguksong-2 or KN-15, that North Korea test-fired in February while US President Donald Trump was hosting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at his resort in Florida.
The parade, presided over by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, wearing a Western-style dark suit and tie, took place as the United States has not ruled out military options to prevent North Korea from advancing its weapons programme.
It remains unclear if the new ICBMsized canisters had something inside or were empty, but the display of the long containers on transporter erector launchers may be aimed at signalling that a new missile, possibly using solid fuel, is at least under development.
North Korea again showed KN-08 ICBMs, which have never been launched but were unveiled five years ago at a similar parade to mark the centenary of the founder’s birth.
In his New Year address, Mr Kim said North Korea had entered the final stage of preparing to test-launch an ICBM, which would lead to a game-changing security environment as it could potentially deliver a nuclear warhead to the US mainland.
Mr Kim, flanked by high-ranking officials on a balcony overlooking the square, waved to the huge crowd and smiled many times, but made no speech.
Instead a very close aide to the 33-year-old leader, who took the reins of power five years ago, lauded the country’s recent achievements in its arms development programme.
“If the US launches reckless provocations, our revolutionary power will instantly make an annihilating attack and will respond to an all-out war with a full-scale war and a nuclear war with our style of a nuclear attack,” said Choe Ryong-hae, a vice-chairman of the ruling Workers’ Party.
North Korea last held a military parade on Oct 10, 2015, the 70th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party.
Speculation persists that North Korea may be preparing a sixth nuclear test or more missile launches in connection with this year’s birthday celebration, or the 85th anniversary of the foundation of the Korean People’s Army, on April 25.
North Korea has often celebrated major anniversaries with weapons tests.
For last year’s anniversary of Kim Ilsung’s birth, known in North Korea as the “Day of the Sun” and regarded as the most important national day on its calendar, the Kim regime tried but failed to fire for the first time what was presumed to be a Musudan intermediate-range ballistic.
North Korea has made no secret of its desire to boost its military power, while a US naval strike group is approaching close to waters off the Korean Peninsula in a show of force, following high-profile US military attacks this month on Syria and the Islamic State in a remote part of Afghanistan.
The strikes authorised by Mr Trump are seen as an implicit warning to North Korea.
North Korea’s army warned on Friday it would take the “toughest” counteraction against the US if Washington continues with “provocative” moves.
“Our toughest counteraction against the United States and its vassal forces will be taken in such a merciless manner as not to allow the aggressors to survive,” an unidentified spokesman said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.
China is meanwhile seeking Russia’s help to cool surging tensions between North Korea and the US.
China — the North’s sole major ally and economic lifeline — on Friday warned that war over North Korea could break out “at any moment”.
In a call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov later on Friday, Chinese counterpart Wang Yi said the common goal of the two nations was to “bring all the parties back to the negotiating table”, according to a statement on China’s Foreign Ministry website.
“China is ready to coordinate closely with Russia to help cool down as quickly as possible the situation on the peninsula and encourage the parties concerned to resume dialogue,” Mr Wang told Mr Lavrov, referring to the stalled six-party talks on the North’s nuclear programme that includes Russia, China and the United States.
“Preventing war and chaos on the peninsula meets common interests,” he added.
Beijing has long opposed dramatic action against the North, fearing the regime’s collapse would send a flood of refugees across its borders and leave the US military on its doorstep.