Kim’s speech to war veterans on the 69th anniversary of the end of the 1950-53 Korean War was apparently intended to boost domestic unity in the impoverished country amid economic hardships related to the pandemic. While Kim has increasingly threatened his rivals with nuclear weapons, he is unlikely to use them first against senior US troops and its allies, observers say. “Our armed forces are fully prepared to respond to any crisis, and our country’s nuclear deterrent is also ready to mobilize its full force responsibly, precisely and quickly according to its mission,” Kim said in Wednesday’s speech. , according to the official Korean Central News Agency. He accused the United States of “demonizing” North Korea to justify its hostile policies. He said the US-South Korean military drills aimed at North Korea show the US’s “double standards” and “gangster” aspects because they characterize North Korea’s routine military activities – an apparent reference to its missile tests – as provocations or threats. Kim also claimed that the new South Korean government of President Yun Suk-yeol is led by “confrontational maniacs” and “gangsters” who have gone further than previous South Korean conservative governments. Since taking office in May, the Yun administration has moved to strengthen Seoul’s military alliance with the United States and boost its ability to counter North Korea’s nuclear threats, including a pre-emptive strike capability. “Talking about military action against our nation, which has absolutely the most feared weapons, is absurd and a very dangerous suicidal act,” Kim said. “Such a dangerous attempt will be immediately punished by our powerful force, and Yoon Suk Yeol’s government and his army will be annihilated.” Moon Hong-sik, deputy spokesman for South Korea’s defense ministry, on Thursday reiterated an earlier position that South Korea is strengthening its military capability and joint defense posture with the United States to counter the North’s escalating nuclear threats. Korea. South Korea’s Chief of Staff said the military is maintaining constant readiness. In April, Kim said North Korea could use preemptive nuclear weapons if threatened, saying they will “never be limited to the single mission of war deterrence.” Kim’s military has also test-fired nuclear-capable missiles that put both the US mainland and South Korea within striking distance. US and South Korean officials have repeatedly said in recent months that North Korea is ready to conduct its first nuclear test in five years. Kim is seeking greater public support as his country’s economy has been hit by pandemic-related border closures, US-led sanctions and his own mismanagement. In May, North Korea also admitted to its first outbreak of COVID-19, although the scale of the illness and death is widely disputed in a country that lacks the modern medical capacity to deal with it. “Kim’s rhetoric inflates external threats to justify his militarily focused and economically struggling regime,” said Leif-Erik Esli, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. “North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs violate international law, but Kim is trying to portray his destabilizing weapons buildup as a righteous effort in self-defense.” Experts say North Korea will likely step up its threats against the United States and South Korea as the allies prepare to expand summer drills. In recent years, the militaries of South Korea and the US have canceled or scaled back some of their regular exercises due to concerns about COVID-19 and to support deadlocked US-led diplomacy aimed at getting North Korea to give up its nuclear program in exchange for economic and political benefits. During Wednesday’s speech, Kim said his government has recently set out to improve its military capability more quickly to respond to military pressure campaigns from its enemies, suggesting he intends to move ahead with an expected nuclear test. But Cheong Seong-Chang at the private Sejong Institute in South Korea said North Korea would likely not conduct its nuclear test before China, its main ally and biggest aid benefactor, holds its Communist Party congress in the fall. He said China was concerned that a North Korean nuclear test could give the United States an excuse to strengthen security partnerships with allies that it could use to check Chinese influence in the region. North Korea recently said it is moving to overcome the COVID-19 outbreak amid a sharp drop in fever cases, but experts say it is unclear whether the country can lift its strict restrictions soon because it could face a resurgence of the virus later this year. During Wednesday’s event, Kim, the veterans and others did not wear masks, state media photos showed. On Thursday, North Korea reported 11 cases of the fever, a huge drop from a peak of about 400,000 a day in May. North Korea rejected US and South Korean offers of medical aid. He also said he would not return to talks with the United States unless it first abandons its hostile policy towards the North, in an apparent reference to US-led sanctions and US-South Korean military exercises.
