North Korea has claimed we are heading "to the brink of nuclear war” as South Korea and the United States are conducting joint military drills.
The two countries are doing drills to strengthen the allies' defence and response capabilities amid North Korea's increasing nuclear threats.
But the North sees it as antagonistic and has promised to respond with "offensive action."
A commentary published by the Korean Central News Agency today criticised the continuing exercises as "a trigger for driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to the point of explosion.”
Choe Ju Hyon, an international security analyst, wrote: "The reckless military confrontational hysteria of the US and its followers against the DPRK [North Korea] is driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to an irreversible catastrophe … to the brink of a nuclear war.”
She said she hopes the "dark clouds of a nuclear war hanging over the Korean peninsula" will be cleared as early as possible.
Last week, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles, likely in response to the ramped-up defence cooperation from the South and the US.
North Korea views all such exercises as rehearsals for invasion and has repeatedly warned it would take "overwhelming” action in response.
Last year, North Korea declared itself an "irreversible” nuclear power and leader Kim Jong-un recently called for an "exponential” increase in weapons production, including tactical nuclear weapons.
The comments came as Sung Kim, the US special representative to North Korea, arrived in Seoul for talks with South Korean and Japanese officials to coordinate their response to North Korea’s intensifying weapons development and threats of nuclear conflict.
In March alone, the North fired nearly 20 missiles over seven different launch events, including an intercontinental ballistic missile that demonstrated potential range to reach the US mainland.
The North described its tests as a response to the US-South Korean drills. Tensions are likely to continue as North Korea is likely to use the allies’ continuing drills as a pretext to advance weapons development and intensify military training involving its nuclear-capable missiles.
Commander of the South Korean air force operation command, said Wednesday’s drills involving B-52 bombers were aimed at displaying the allies’ "strong resolve” and "perfect readiness to respond to any provocation by North Korea swiftly and overwhelmingly.”
South Korean officials say North Korea may up the ante by staging more provocative displays of its military might, which could include the North’s first nuclear test since 2017.
