PYONGYANG: North Korea have threatened preemptive nuclear attacks on South Korea and US as their military drills are scheduled to start on Monday.
North Korea’s national defence commission said that “Army and people of North Korea will make military counter-action for preemptive attack and launch an all-out offensive to cope with joint military drills conducted by South Korean and the US troops.”
He said “As the joint military exercises to be staged by the enemies are regarded as the most undisguised nuclear war drills aimed to infringe upon the sovereignty of North Korea, its military counteraction will be more preemptive and offensive nuclear strike to cope with them.”
The threat statement came just days after Kim ordered to put nuclear arsenal on standby mode for use at any moment.
Pyongyang has also issued warnings of nuclear attack in the past.
The tensions raised on Korean peninsula since the North Korea’s successful test of long range rocket launch on 6th January.
North Korea claimed that the rocket launch was for peaceful purpose but US and its allies claimed that North used a intercontinental ballistic missile technology and it could target US.
UN Security Council passed a resolution to put tougher sanctions against North Korea to stop its cash flow of exports which is mostly used in nuclear programme.
The sanctions include a ban on export of coal worth $ 1 billion and iron ore worth $ 200 million.
US also decided to deploy an advanced missile defence system THAAD in South Korea to knock down the missile fired from North Korea.