North Korea accuses US of hostility, continues weapons tests

09/28/2021

Seoul, Sept. 28: North Korea on Monday accused the United States of keeping up its “hostile policy” and demanded the Biden administration permanently end joint military exercises with South Korea even as it continued its recent streak of weapons tests apparently aimed at pressuring Washington and Seoul over slow nuclear diplomacy.

North Korean Ambassador Kim Song's comments on the last day of the UN General Assembly's annual high-level meeting came shortly after South Korea's military said the North fired an unidentified projectile into its eastern waters.

The North's latest test, which followed two previous rounds of missile tests this month, indicated the country is returning to its tried-and-true technique of mixing weapons demonstrations and peace offers to wrest concessions amid long-stalled negotiations over its nuclear weapons program.

Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff didn't immediately say what the North launched in its latest test, which took place early on Tuesday on the Korean Peninsula, or how far the weapon flew.

Speaking through a translator, Kim justified North Korea's development of a “war deterrent” as a necessity to defend against US threats, and also accused South Korea of betraying inter-Korean peace agreements by prioritising its Western ally over “national harmony”.

He demanded that the United States “permanently” stop its military exercises with South Korea, which the North has traditionally described as invasion rehearsals, and end the deployment of US strategic weapons if it wants to end the 1950-53 Korean War and “is really desirous of peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula".

“The possible outbreak of a new war on the Korean Peninsula is contained not because of the US's mercy on the DPRK, it is because our state is growing a reliable deterrent that can control the hostile forces in an attempted military invasion,” Kim said, referring to North Korea by the abbreviation of its formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The Biden administration recently announced that it terminated the longest war in Afghanistan after 20 years, Kim said, “but the US is still ignoring the reality that the Korean War has not ended for over 70 years”.

Kim cited “military threats and hostile acts” that the DPRK has faced from the US every day since it was founded after the 1950-53 Korean war when the country was divided.

North Korea mainly uses the term “hostile policy” to refer to US-led sanctions over its nuclear weapons program and the joint US-South Korea military drills.

“If (the United States) is really desirous of peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula, they should take the first step towards giving up its hostile policy against the DPRK by stopping permanently the joint military exercises and the deployment of all kinds of strategic weapons which are levelled at the DPRK in and around the Korean Peninsula,” Kim said.-AP 

Related News

Joe Biden praises Olympians for inspiring Americans with courage

Wilmington, Aug. 8: US President Joe Biden praised US Olympians for navigating the difficulties of a coronavirus-tarnished games with “moral courage” that made Americans’ “hearts swell” with pride. Biden, along with first lady Jill Biden, spoke with Team USA in a Zoom call Saturday evening from their home near Wilmington,…

Another northern Afghan province falls to Taliban: Officials

Kabul, Aug. 9: Provincial Afghan lawmakers say the Taliban have taken control of another provincial capital, the fourth to fall into insurgent hands in less than a week, in a punishing blow to government forces. The Taliban forces overran Taleqan, the capital of the northern Takhar province on Sunday, capturing…

Maritime routes are being misused for piracy and terrorism, says Indian PM

New Delhi, Aug. 9: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is chairing a UN Security Council open debate on “Enhancing Maritime Security — A Case for International Cooperation” on Monday evening via video conferencing. The focus of the debate was to focus on ways to effectively counter maritime crime and insecurity,…

Indian PM for joint efforts to fight maritime threats

New Delhi, Aug. 10 : In an oblique reference to China, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called for maritime disputes to be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law. Speaking at one of the best-attended UN Security Council debates (UNSC) where other members, barring China, fielded Presidents,…

Taliban tighten control of Afghan north as UN fears erasure of human rights

Kabul, Aug. 10: Taliban fighters tightened their grip on captured territory in Afghanistan on Tuesday as civilians hid in their homes and a pro-government commander vowed to fight to the death to defend Mazar-i-Sharif, the biggest city in the north. President Ashraf Ghani called on regional strongmen to support his…

As Taliban gain ground, Afghanistan army chief ‘replaced’

Kabul, Aug. 12: As the Taliban seized three more provincial capitals in Afghanistan and a local army headquarters, a Defence Ministry official and local media reports said President Ashraf Ghani had replaced the country’s army chief. Sources said Gen Hibatullah Alizai had replaced Gen Wali Ahmadzai as the Afghan army…

Video

Find Us on Facebook

From Social

Kathmandu, Nov. 24: The joint training exercise "SURYA KIRAN-XVII" of Nepali Army and Indian Army is starting from 24 November 2023 in Pithoragarh, India. The Nepalese army team that will participate in the exercise, which will be attended by the…

Nepal-India Joint Military Training Excerise Surya Kiran Begin Today    

New Delhi, May 5: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the guest of honour for this year’s Bastille Day Parade in Paris scheduled to take place on July 14.  In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of…

Indian PM Modi to attend Bastille Day Parade in Paris as guest of honour on July 14