North Korean state media warns of nuclear strike against U.S. if provoked

Kim Jong Un appears with the Korean People's Army
(Image credit: Getty Images)

North Korean state media warned Tuesday that the isolated communist nation might launch a nuclear attack on the U.S. over any indication of a preemptive attack by a U.S. Navy strike heading toward nearby waters in the western Pacific. "Our revolutionary strong army is keenly watching every move by enemy elements with our nuclear sight focused on the U.S. invasionary bases not only in South Korea and the Pacific operation theatre but also in the U.S. mainland," North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said. South Korean acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn warned that Pyongyang might respond to rising tensions over its nuclear weapons and missile programs with "greater provocations," such as another nuclear test.

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Harold Maass

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at TheWeek.com. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 launch of the U.S. print edition. Harold has worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, Fox News, and ABC News. For several years, he wrote a daily round-up of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance. He lives in North Carolina with his wife and two sons.