SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – North Korea issued a veiled threat Tuesday to use nuclear weapons to make the U.S. and South Korea “pay the most horrific price in history,” an escalation of its fiery rhetoric aimed at the ongoing large-scale military exercises between its adversaries.
Hostilities on the Korean peninsula have been high in recent months, with North Korea testing a series of nuclear-capable missiles and adopting a law allowing for the preemptive use of its nuclear weapons in a wide range of situations. Some experts still doubt that North Korea could use nuclear weapons first in the face of superior US and South Korean forces.
North Korea has argued that its recent weapons tests were intended to warn Washington and Seoul about a series of joint military exercises it sees as rehearsals for an invasion, including this week’s drills involving some 240 warplanes.
Park Yong-chon, secretary of the ruling Workers’ Party who is considered a close confidant of leader Kim Jong-un, called the air force’s so-called “Storm Alert” exercises “aggressive and provocative.”
Park also accused the Pentagon of framing a collapse of the North Korean regime as a primary policy goal, in an apparent reference to the Pentagon’s recent National Defense Strategy report. The report said that any nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies and partners “would lead to the end of this regime.”
He blamed South Korea’s military leaders for what he called “rubbish” comments that threatened to destroy North Korea if it uses nuclear weapons. South Korea’s military has warned North Korea that using its nuclear weapons would put it on a “path of self-destruction”.
“If the US and South Korea attempt to use armed forces against (North Korea) without any fear, the (North’s) armed forces’ special means will carry out their strategic mission without delay,” Park said, in an apparent reference of country’s nuclear weapons.
“The US and South Korea will have to face a terrible case and pay the most horrific price in history,” he said.
US and South Korean officials have consistently said their drills are defensive in nature and that they have no intention of attacking North Korea.
Pak’s statement is the North’s second warning to the United States and South Korea this week. On Monday, the North’s foreign ministry warned of “stronger monitoring measures” in response to its rivals’ air force exercises.
South Korean officials said North Korea could up the ante in the coming weeks by detonating its first nuclear test device since September 2017, which could potentially move the country a step closer to its goals of building a full nuclear arsenal. capable of threatening US regional allies and the US mainland.
Some experts say North Korea would eventually like to use its expanding nuclear arsenal as leverage in future negotiations with the United States to win sanctions relief and other concessions.
