North Korea issues new threats after US confirms nearby military exercises
The US Department of Defence announced on Sunday that its annual joint military exercise with South Korea would begin on Monday and continue through until the end of August.
The Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) computer-simulated exercise, which is aimed at enhancing the combat readiness of forces based in the Korean peninsula, will be attended by 17,500 US troops, South Korean military and UN Command forces from seven countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK.
The Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission will monitor the exercise to ensure it complies with the Korean Armistice Agreement signed on 27 July 1953 to ensure a complete cessation of hostilities in the area until a "final peaceful settlement" was achieved.
Kim Jong-un has said, however, that conducting the annual war game in South Korea would be "pouring gasoline on the fire" of the already heightened tensions between Pyongyang and Washington.
"The joint exercise is the most explicit expression of hostility against us, and no one can guarantee that the exercise won’t evolve into actual fighting," the North’s official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said.
"The KPA is keeping a high alert, fully ready to contain the enemies. It will take resolute steps the moment even a slight sign of the 'preventive war' is spotted. The U.S. has to be responsible for the ensuing disasters."
South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that both Seoul and Washington had considered calling off an initial plan that would see two aircraft carriers move into the peninsula to take part in the drill in order to appease Kim Jong-un, the subject of "decapitation drills" in previous Ulchi exercises.
China, North Korea's primary trade partner, has called for calm during the recent weeks, expressing frustration with both the North Korean regime over its repeated nuclear and missile tests and the Trump administration for their sabre rattling that it sees as unnecessarily escalating tensions in the region.
"It needs to make clear its stance to all sides and make them understand that when their actions jeopardise China’s interests, China will respond with a firm hand," said China's ruling Communist Party in a paper published in its official newsletter, The People's Daily.
"China should also make clear that if North Korea launches missiles that threaten US soil first and the US retaliates, China will stay neutral," it added.
"If the US and South Korea carry out strikes and try to overthrow the North Korean regime and change the political pattern of the Korean Peninsula, China will prevent them from doing so."
Monday also marked the first time the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs took aim at some of Washington's allies, going as far as to single out Australia, saying, "Not long after the Australian prime minister had stated that they would join in the aggressive moves of the US, even referring to ANZUS which exists in name only, the Australian military announced that they would dispatch their troops to the aggressive nuclear exercises of the US."
The statement said Australia, who lost 340 of the 17,000 men that took part in President Truman's "police action" in the region between 1950 and 1953, had made a "suicidal act" by continuing its involvement in UFG.