The North Korean leader, Kim Jong Unhe asked his military high command use maximum force against South Korea and the United States if they start an armed clash, the state press reported Monday.
At a meeting with military leaders in the capital Pyongyang on New Year’s Eve, Kim spoke about his military They must “annihilate” the enemy in case of provocation, KCNA news agency reported.
“If the enemy chooses military confrontation against the DPRK (North Korea), our army must do so deliver a fatal blow to completely annihilate them mobilizing the strongest means without hesitation,” Kim said, according to statements reproduced by the AFP news agency.
Seoul and Washington have stepped up defense cooperation in the face of the North’s wave of weapons tests last year.
Kim’s statement recalls the threats made at his party’s end-of-year meetings regarding a nuclear attack on Seoul and the order to strengthen the military arsenal in preparation for a war, which in his opinion could “erupt at any moment ‘other”.
During meetings of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Kim accused the United States of being a “military threat” and called on the military to “suppress all South Korean territory, mobilizing all physical means… including nuclear forces” in case of war. armed clash.
He announced that he will not seek reconciliation and reunification with Seoul due to the “uncontrollable crisis” that he says South Korea and the United States have caused.
Yoon Suk-yeol, the president of South Korea. Photo Woohae Cho/BloombergFor his part, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol he promised to respond to the North’s military provocationswith an expanded deterrence system with Washington taking effect in early 2024.
In his New Year’s message, Yoon said such a system would “fundamentally deter any North Korean nuclear and missile threats.”
Kim Jong-un celebrated the New Year by attending a performance at Pyongyang’s colossal May 1 Stadium, accompanied by his wife and daughter, state media reported.
The images from the official KCTV network show the North Korean leader and his family welcomed by the applause of tens of thousands of spectators.
Kim’s daughter, Ju Ae, holds his arm as he walks to his seat and his mother, Ri Sol Ju, claps and smiles next to him.
Stadium 1 de Mayo would have a capacity of 150,000 spectators, which would make it the largest in the world.
The show marked the start of the new year, with bells ringing at midnight and a fireworks display, KCNA reported.
Source: Clarin
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