North Korea's Nuclear Threat Over Joint Exercises: "Do You Want to Suffer an Unfated Disaster?"

Choson Central News Commentary... Targeting South Korea and the US Nuclear Threat
"People with Nuclear Strike Capability Do Not Speak Empty Words"

North Korea strongly protested as it issued nuclear threats in response to the consecutive South Korea-US joint military exercises.

On the 2nd, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) stated in a commentary titled "There Will Be a Price to Pay for the War Maniacs' Recklessness," "The war mania of the United States and South Korea, which forced through the largest-scale joint military exercise in history, 'Freedom Shield,' lasting 11 days from March 13, simulating an all-out war against our Republic, has reached its peak since the simultaneous launch of the combined amphibious landing exercise 'Ssangryong'."

Kim Jong-un Observing North Korea's Simulated Comprehensive Tactical Training for Nuclear Retaliation
[Image Source=Yonhap News]

South Korea and the US conducted the 'Freedom Shield (FS)' joint exercise from the 13th to the 23rd of last month, and since the 20th of last month, they have been carrying out the large-scale amphibious landing exercise 'Ssangryong' involving the South Korean and US Marine Corps. Recently, having successfully completed the 'Decisive Action' exercise, considered the highlight of the landing drills, the South Korean and US Marine Corps plan to conclude the training on the 3rd by mastering tasks to integrate combat power and improve interoperability.

The news agency warned, "The United States and its followers must never forget the fact that the country they are dealing with actually possesses nuclear strike capabilities and the characteristics of our people and military, who do not tolerate empty words," adding, "As long as the US and its puppets continue to provoke our Republic with blatant military provocations, our response will correspond accordingly."

It further emphasized, "If those who recklessly rampage without fearing nuclear weapons find that deterrence is ineffective, it will be very clear how our nuclear weapons will be used next," and stressed again, "Those who do not want to suffer a truly disastrous fate must think carefully and remember that reckless actions will inevitably come with a price."

A scene of 'decisive action' during the 2023 Ssangryong Exercise conducted jointly by the ROK and US Marine Corps [Image source=Yonhap News]

In the commentary on the same day, the news agency mentioned in detail various aspects of the South Korea-US joint exercises, including the coastal landing drill 'Decisive Action,' and specifically noted the deployment of the US amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island and the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. It stated, "The fact that the US and its puppets, who previously dared not even mention it openly and pursued it secretly, are now openly babbling about 'seizing Pyongyang' and 'decapitation operations' and are fervently conducting exercises to put these into practice shows that their hostile acts against us have reached the worst state."

This strong protest is interpreted as an attempt to blame the South Korea-US joint exercises for the worsening situation on the Korean Peninsula. In particular, the news agency cited the upcoming 'Combined Joint Firepower Destruction Exercise' planned to mark the 70th anniversary of the South Korea-US alliance in June, and made the unfounded claim that "it reminds our people and military of June 1950, when they were forced to endure the horrors of war, and is arousing even greater vigilance."

Additionally, North Korea has openly expressed its hostility toward the South Korea-US alliance through various domestic and international propaganda media recently, including strongly criticizing the joint exercises as 'punishment' in the Workers' Party organ Rodong Sinmun on the 29th of last month. On the 28th of last month, it also showcased the operational capability of its nuclear weapons by announcing Kim Jong Un's 'guidance on the nuclear weaponization project' and revealing the 'tactical nuclear warheads' in a surprise disclosure.