SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea mentioned Friday it test-launched new anti-aircraft missiles, as its navy threatened unspecified grave steps towards the U.S. and South Korea over their joint navy drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal.
The official Korean Central Information Company mentioned that chief Kim Jong Un oversaw the checks Thursday and referred to as the missiles concerned “one other main protection weapons system” for North Korea.
The missile launches, North Korea’s sixth weapons testing exercise this yr, occurred on the identical day that the U.S. and South Korean militaries concluded their annual Freedom Defend command submit train. The 11-day coaching was the allies’ first main joint navy workout routines for the reason that inauguration of President Donald Trump in January, and the 2 international locations held various discipline coaching workout routines alongside the Freedom Defend drills.
U.S. and South Korean officers describe their mixed navy drills as defensive in nature, however North Korea slams them as a significant safety risk. Hours after this yr’s Freedom Defend coaching started on March 10, North Korea fired a number of ballistic missiles into the ocean.
On Friday, the North Korea’s Protection Ministry alleged the latest U.S.-South Korean drills concerned simulations to destroy underground tunnels within the North to take away its nuclear weapons. An unidentified ministry spokesperson mentioned the U.S. and South Korea would face penalties in the event that they carry out comparable provocative actions once more.
“The accrued reckless navy strikes of the U.S. and the ROK, seized with the daydream that they’ll jeopardize the sovereignty and safety of a nuclear weapons state, can undoubtedly convey the gravest penalties they don’t want,” the spokesperson mentioned in a press release carried in KCNA.
ROK is the Republic of Korea, South Korea’s official title.
North Korea typically churns out warlike rhetoric and threats of assaults when the U.S. and South Korea militaries conduct large drills.
Trump has mentioned he’s keen to succeed in out to Kim to revive their diplomacy, however North Korea hasn’t made any public responses to Trump’s overture. Many consultants say Kim, now preoccupied together with his assist of Russia’s conflict efforts towards Ukraine, gained’t doubtless embrace Trump’s outreach anytime quickly, however might significantly think about it when the conflict ends.
Kim and Trump met thrice in 2018-19 to debate North Korea’s potential nuclear disarmament, however their diplomacy finally fell aside resulting from disputes over U.S.-led financial sanctions on North Korea.
