North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has instructed the country's military leaders to gather maximum capabilities to obliterate the United States and South Korea if they opt for military escalation, state media reported on Monday.
In remarks that underscore the growing threat of military escalation on the Korean Peninsula, Kim pointed out that hostile maneuvers by adversaries, including the United States, are accelerating the risk, necessitating the country to be well-prepared to defend itself.
The North’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted Kim saying, "If they decide to escalate militarily and ignite the flames of conflict, we must assemble all effective means to inflict a devastating blow and completely destroy them."
According to South Korean news agency "Yonhap," during a meeting with senior military leaders at the ruling Workers' Party headquarters, Kim provided an in-depth analysis of "the critical security situation on the Korean Peninsula, which is steering towards the brink of armed escalation with each passing day, and the nature of the United States’ and other hostile forces' military movements."
He concluded by stating, "If the enemy opts for military escalation and provocations against us, our army must deliver an effective strike to utterly obliterate them without any hesitation, by mobilizing all robust means and capabilities at our disposal."
Kim's speech came after the United States significantly increased its training activities with South Korea over the past year, deploying more strategic military assets, including nuclear-powered missile submarines, aircraft carriers, and bombers capable of carrying large payloads.
Military Readiness
The agency clarified that Kim pointed to the urgent need to enhance troop readiness and develop military capabilities to ensure North Korea's security and stability, and to improve the regular military preparedness of the army, noting that an armed conflict could break out at any time.
The call for heightened military readiness follows the pledge made at the conclusion of the Workers' Party meeting, which lasted five days and ended on Saturday. The meeting highlighted the enhancement of the country’s nuclear arsenal, the development of unmanned military aircraft production, and the launch of three new spy satellites planned for 2024.
Last year, North Korea tested its largest ballistic missiles and launched its first military reconnaissance satellite, a development which Kim described as a significant advancement in modernizing the military.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged on Monday to accelerate efforts to complete the missile defense system and the extended American deterrence regime, aiming to achieve a potent deterrence against any nuclear or missile threat that might emerge from North Korea.
