North Korea ramps up talk of war
UNITED NATIONS: North Korea’s deputy UN ambassador has accused the United States of turning the Korean Peninsula into ‘‘the world’s biggest hotspot’' and creating ‘‘a dangerous situation in which a thermonuclear war may break out at any moment’'.
Kim In-ryong told a news conference yesterday that ‘‘if the US dares opt for a military action’', North Korea was ‘‘ready to react to any mode of war desired by the US’’.
He said the Trump administration’s deployment of the Carl Vinson nuclear carrier task group to waters off the peninsula again ‘‘proves the US reckless moves for invading the DPRK have reached a serious phase of its scenario’’.
Kim said US-South Korean military exercises being staged now were the largest ever ‘‘aggressive war drill’' aimed at his country, formally known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
‘‘The prevailing grave situation proves once again that the DPRK was entirely just when it increased in every way its military capabilities for self-defence and preemptive attack, with a nuclear force as a pivot.’’
Tensions have escalated over North Korea’s moves to accelerate its weapons development. It conducted two nuclear tests and 24 ballistic missile tests last year, defying six UN Security Council sanctions resolutions banning any testing, and has launched more missiles this year, including a failed attempt last weekend.
The North’s Foreign Ministry said the missile launches were part of a normal process of building up the country’s defences and economy.
Ministry official Kim Changmin said the UN, the security council and big countries ignored South Korean missile launches and Japanese surveillance satellites. ’’This is the limit of double standards. How can we have any dialogue to get any result with anyone who has this kind of approach?’'
US Vice-President Mike Pence yesterday travelled to the Demilitarised Zone dividing the Koreas and warned Pyongyang that ‘‘the era of strategic patience is over’'.
After 25 years of trying to deal patiently with North Korea’s nuclear and missile ambitions, ‘‘all options are on the table’' to deal with the threat, Pence said.
Deputy Ambassador Kim said North Korea’s policy was shaped by the Trump administration’s push for ‘‘high-intensity sanctions’ ' against his country, deploying tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea and launching military action aimed at ‘‘beheading’' the North’s leadership. He said rolling back the hostile US policy towards North Korea ’’is the precondition to solving all the problems in the Korean Peninsula’'.
Kim called the news conference to `’’categorically reject’' the US decision to hold an open meeting of the security council on April 28 to discuss North Korea’s nuclear programme. The meeting is scheduled to be chaired by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. He called it ‘‘another abuse of authority’' by the US, which holds the council’s presidency this month, and a violation of North Korea’s sovereignty.
Kim ignored questions about North Korea’s relationship with China and reports that his government did not respond to requests from Chinese officials for a meeting. Instead, he reiterated two Chinese proposals that the US has rejected. One called for ‘‘dual track’' talks on denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula - the top priority of the US - and replacing the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War with a formal peace treaty, a key demand of Pyongyang. The other called for a freeze on US-South Korean military exercises and a freeze on North Korean missile and nuclear tests. - AP