North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for beefing up the Navy over the “risk of nuclear war” in its waters, state media reported on Tuesday, as Seoul, Washington and Tokyo hold joint naval drills.
The North Korean leader criticized the increased trilateral cooperation between the “gang leaders” of the United States, South Korea and Japan “gathered together”, the official Korean News Agency (KCNA) reported, in reference to the recent Camp David summit where US President Joe Biden received his South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida.
It was the first time that the leaders of the three countries met for an independent summit.
Kim Jong Un accused Washington of being “more restless than ever” with joint naval maneuvers and the permanent deployment of strategic nuclear assets in waters around the Korean peninsula, according to the news agency.
“Due to the reckless acts of confrontation by the United States, among other hostile forces, the waters of the Korean Peninsula have been forced to become the concentration point of the world’s most war material, the most unstable waters with the risk of nuclear war,” Kim said.
“Succeeding in the rapid development of the naval force has become a very urgent matter in view of the enemy’s recent attempts at aggression,” he argued.
State newspaper Rodong Sinmun showed Kim Jong Un pictured with his young daughter as he inspected the Navy command.
The United States, South Korea and Japan have stepped up defense cooperation in recent months and conducted a joint naval missile defense exercise on Tuesday to counter increased nuclear and missile threats from Pyongyang.
The exercise in international waters off South Korea’s Jeju Island involved destroyers equipped with Aegis radar systems from all three countries, the South Korean Navy said in a statement.
Until August 31, the United States and South Korea carry out annual large-scale military maneuvers, arousing the ire of Pyongyang.
North Korea has conducted a record number of weapons tests this year and last week made its second attempt to put a spy satellite into orbit, which ended in failure.
29/08/2023 08:55:15 – Seoul (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
