Communist North Korea's dictator Kim Jong Un inspected the readiness of nuclear-capable missiles to ensure North Korea could launch them if necessary to counter the “ever-growing threat” posed by the United States. state media reported on Wednesday.
North Korean state newspaper labor newspaper published An image of Kim in a leather coat standing in front of what appears to be a giant warhead at a “strategic missile base.”
The visit is seen as a move to intimidate South Korea and its allies amid growing concerns that the repressive communist state is providing troops to ally Russia fighting the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) claimed last week that North Korea plans to send 12,000 troops to fight against Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities released a video this weekend purporting to show North Korean soldiers waiting to receive Russian military equipment. pentagon Confirmed On Wednesday, it announced that it had received information suggesting North Korea's military presence in the Ukraine war.
Both North Korea and Russia deny that North Korea has sent troops to Russia's war effort. north korea referred to “Based and stereotypical rumors aimed at tarnishing North Korea's image” [North Korea] and undermines legitimate, friendly and cooperative relations between sovereign nations. ”
The troop movement comes after Kim and Russian strongman Vladimir Putin signed a mutual defense pact during a visit to Pyongyang in July. The South Korean government, which remains formally at war with North Korea, has indicated that it is considering supporting the war in Ukraine following Kim's involvement, raising the level of global anxiety about the possibility of an escalation of the war. is increasing.
Pyongyang's state-run flagship Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported On Wednesday, Kim toured unspecified “strategic missile bases” to ensure “the operational readiness of strategic deterrent forces directly related to national security, including the functions and capabilities of elements of launch-related facilities.” said. North Korea regularly refers to its nuclear weapons as a “strategic deterrent.”
“As I have emphasized several times recently, the United States' strategic nuclear means pose an increasing threat to the security environment of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea,” Kim reportedly said during the visit. . “North Korea will steadily strengthen its war deterrence capabilities and take a thorough and strict counterattack posture against its nuclear forces.”
Contrary to Kim's claims, the US government under outgoing President Joe Biden has largely ignored the escalating tensions between the two Koreas, except for monitoring the situation surrounding the invasion of Ukraine. North Korea dramatically escalated its actions against Seoul this summer, sending hundreds of balloons filled with trash and feces into South Korea, and more recently accusing South Korea of flying drones into Pyongyang. The North Korean regime has not provided any evidence for this claim, and the South Korean government also denies the evidence.
Nevertheless, the North Korean state appears to be most concerned about the possibility of a U.S. nuclear attack, if the pages of its propaganda outlets are any indication. On Tuesday, shortly before Kim Jong Un's remarks at the missile base, his sister and top official Kim Yo Jong issued an angry statement. screed In it, she threatened to use nuclear weapons in response to reports about North Korea's involvement in Ukraine.
“Military provocations against nuclear-weapon states could lead to horrifying situations that politicians and military experts from countries large and small around the world cannot imagine experiencing in their normal thinking,” Kim's statement said. There is. “Therefore, there will be no such example, except for the one recently created by a lunatic in South Korea.” [South Korea] And Ukraine. ”
Mr. Kim despised both South Korea and Ukraine, calling them “bad dogs raised by the United States.''
South Korea's government, which has diplomatically supported Ukraine against Russia's war effort, suggested on Tuesday that it would consider “step-by-step measures” to counter North Korea's growing military influence in Europe.
“If illegal military cooperation between North Korea and Russia continues, we will not stand idly by and will work with the international community to respond decisively,” Kim Tae-hyo, South Korea's assistant national security minister, said on Tuesday.
“We will consider providing weapons for defensive purposes as part of a phased scenario, but we may also consider offensive use if this appears to be going too far,” he added.
Some in Ukraine welcome the possibility of cooperation and encourage further action against North Korea. South Korean news outlets this week reported comments from a senior official in Ukraine's Nazi-affiliated Azov Brigade, in which officer Bohdan Klotevich said thousands of troops were stationed in Ukraine as a means to end technical operations. While there, South Korea reportedly suggested invading North Korea. Korean War. Many South Koreans balked at this proposal, given North Korea's status as a nuclear power, regularly threatening to use these weapons.
