"North Korea's Nuclear and Missile Development Threat Very Real"
Expressing Concern Over North Korea's Improved Missile Capabilities
On the 22nd, U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley warned in an interview with Japanese media including Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) that North Korea's nuclear and missile development is a "very real threat," stating, "The Korean Peninsula is one of the places in the world that must always maintain a high state of immediate readiness, and depending on the situation, it is a region that could fall into a state of war within days."
He described North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un as an "unpredictable leader" and said, "South Korea, the United States, and Japan have the option to respond jointly."
Regarding North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), Milley expressed concern over North Korea's missile capabilities, stating, "If North Korea chooses, it could have the capability to target and strike the U.S. mainland."
About the Chinese military, he mentioned, "They aim to challenge the United States across land, sea, air, space, and cyber domains, and are developing very powerful military forces to that end."
Concerning Japan, Milley said, "Even aside from Taiwan-related issues, the Japan Self-Defense Forces will become important in responding to any unforeseen situations in the Pacific," adding, "Whether to engage in Taiwan's defense is a matter for U.S. and Japanese political leaders to decide."
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