North Korea ‘ready to mobilise nuclear forces’
Kim Jong Un uses ‘fiery’ rhetoric to warn South Korea against confrontation
Kim Jong Un has claimed that North Korea is “ready to mobilise” its nuclear weapons if South Korea and its “confrontation maniac” president were to make a move against the nation.
At an event on Wednesday marking the 69th anniversary of the end of the Korean war, Kim was reported by state media to have said: “Our armed forces are completely prepared to respond to any crisis, and our country’s nuclear war deterrent is also ready to mobilise its absolute power dutifully, exactly and swiftly in accordance with its mission.”
South Korea and Washington are preparing for their first joint, large-scale military exercises since 2018, when drills were “scaled down” ahead of a meeting between Kim and former US president Donald Trump, said the Financial Times (FT). The exercises have been “reduced to computer-simulated command post-training” for the past three years.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Threats ‘not something new’
A spokesperson for South Korea’s defence ministry said the threats were “not something new”. “It’s a situation that has continued constantly, where North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats have increased,” they continued, adding that they were “responding” to the report.
Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, the BBC’s Tokyo correspondent, said North Korean rhetoric “is often fiery, especially on significant anniversaries”. Kim’s comments indicate “just how angry” the North Korean regime is about South Korea’s new president, Yoon Suk-yeol, who has “laid out a new, more aggressive defence policy” since coming to power in May.
North Korea is also “quite unhappy with the lack of engagement from Washington” since President Joe Biden came to power, said Wingfield-Hayes.
Pyongyang is expected to soon carry out its seventh nuclear test, the first since 2017. It has also carried out at least 28 ballistic missile tests this year, “the most ever in a single year”, said the FT.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Julia O'Driscoll is the engagement editor. She covers UK and world news, as well as writing lifestyle and travel features. She regularly appears on “The Week Unwrapped” podcast, and hosted The Week's short-form documentary podcast, “The Overview”. Julia was previously the content and social media editor at sustainability consultancy Eco-Age, where she interviewed prominent voices in sustainable fashion and climate movements. She has a master's in liberal arts from Bristol University, and spent a year studying at Charles University in Prague.
-
Has the Taliban banned women from speaking?
Today's Big Question 'Rambling' message about 'bizarre' restriction joins series of recent decrees that amount to silencing of Afghanistan's women
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Cuba's energy crisis
The Explainer Already beset by a host of issues, the island nation is struggling with nationwide blackouts
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
Putin's fixation with shamans
Under the Radar Secretive Russian leader, said to be fascinated with occult and pagan rituals, allegedly asked for blessing over nuclear weapons
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Chimpanzees are dying of human diseases
Under the radar Great apes are vulnerable to human pathogens thanks to genetic similarity, increased contact and no immunity
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies hang over Sydney's Mardi Gras
The Explainer Police officer, the former partner of TV presenter victim, charged with two counts of murder after turning himself in
By Austin Chen, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 24 February - 1 March
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will mounting discontent affect Iran election?
Today's Big Question Low turnout is expected in poll seen as crucial test for Tehran's leadership
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Sweden clears final NATO hurdle with Hungary vote
Speed Read Hungary's parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden's accession to NATO
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published