North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong Un said this week he was not worried about avoiding an armed conflict with South Korea, state media reported.
The dictator made the comments while visiting a munitions factory to learn about production, where he referred to the country’s southern neighbor as “our main enemy,” according to state media Korea Central News Agency.
Kim said his regime “will not unilaterally bring about a major event with extraordinary force on the Korean peninsula, but we do not intend to avoid war either,” according to the state newspaper.
He continued, “If the ROK dares to try to use armed forces against the DPRK or threaten its sovereignty and security and such an opportunity arises, we will not hesitate to destroy the ROK by deploying all means and forces at our disposal.”
International cooperation between the North and the South has broken down in recent weeks after the Kim regime’s military launched a series of artillery strikes into the buffer zone between the countries, ostensibly for combat training.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the country would go to war if South Korea if prompted. via REUTERS
A 2018 agreement between Seoul and Pyongyang established a buffer zone as a no-go area for artillery fire or military exercises. via REUTERS
South Korean intelligence estimated about 200 shells were fired into the area on Friday and an additional 60 on Saturday.
South Korea’s Ministry of Defense reportedly fired about 400 shots in response to the provocation.
A 2018 agreement between Seoul and Pyongyang established a buffer zone as a no-go area for artillery fire or military exercises.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff announced Monday that it will resume exercises in the area in response to North Korean artillery bombardment, saying restrictions on the zone “no longer exist.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
