North Korea prepared to use nuclear weapons at ‘any time’ if provoked

Kim Jong-un has warned the world that North Korea is ready to use nuclear weapons against foreign powers at ‘any time’ if provoked. In a state-televised military parade held in Pyongyang on Monday, the North Korean leader pledged to develop nuclear forces as quickly as possible…

“If any forces try to violate the fundamental interests of our state, our nuclear forces will have to decisively accomplish its unexpected second mission,” leaving any invading forces “destroyed”.

“The fundamental mission of our nuclear forces is to deter a war, but our nukes can never be confined to the single mission of war deterrent even at a time when a situation we are not desirous of at all is created on this land”.

The parade flaunted banned intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMs. ICBMs are missiles with a minimum range of 5,000 kilometres and are primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery.

Last month, North Korea claimed that they successfully tested their largest-known ICBM, the Hwasong-17. However, South Korea said the launch was actually of the smaller Hwasong-15 and that the Hwasong-17 launch had failed. Whichever missile was fired, it flew longer and higher than any other missile ever fired by North Korea.

The military parade was held to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army on April 25. The parade was intended to “demonstrate the country’s nuclear combat capabilities”.

“We will step toward the path to build self-defense and modern armed forces faster and more steadily, which we have walked along relentlessly, in preparation for the turbulent political and military situation and all kinds of crises in the future,” said Kim Jong-un.

“In particular, we will continue to take measures to further strengthen and develop nuclear-armed forces, which our country possesses, at the fastest possible speed”.

“If any forces attempt a military confrontation against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, they will be destroyed”.

Kim Jong-un’s sister Kim Yo-jong said North Korea will “annihilate” South Korean forces if South Korea chooses a military confrontation.

Unlike North Korea, the US is committed to never using nuclear weapons first in any circumstance. North Korea’s policy of using nuclear weapons if its “national interests” are threatened is vague at best and creates the opportunity for North Korea to instigate nuclear attacks.

The country’s nuclear policy has been critiqued by Cha Du-hyeogn, a principal fellow at the Asian Institute for Policy Studies…

“North Korea states that it can preemptively launch nuclear attacks if its overriding national interests are violated, which is a very extended concept of nuclear threats”.

Cha believes that the military parade being held on the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army holds symbolic significance…

North Korea sought to “emphasize the traditional relationship between North Korea, China and Russia, which was engaged in the socialist movement… The symbolic significance is that North Korea shows its intent to inherit and develop the socialist solidarity in the 1930s into the current authoritarian society… North Korea also signals that it will further strengthen the trilateral military cooperation with China and Russia while ramping up its nuclear threat”.

SOURCE: Nation Thailand