North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un has ordered the country’s nuclear arsenal be made ready for use, reported South Korea’s Yonhap news agency Friday.
Kim said in an announcement that North Korea will revamp its military capabilities so it can engage in pre-emptive strikes. His statement comes just one day after the U.N. security council voted unanimously to apply a new round of sanctions against North Korea in response to its missile test in February and nuclear test in January.
“Under the extreme situation that the U.S. Imperialist is misusing its military influence and is pressuring other countries and people to start war and catastrophe, the only way for our people to protect sovereignty and rights to live is to strengthen the quality and quantity of nuclear power and realize the balance of power,” said Kim, reported North Korea’s state-run KCNA news agency.
North Korea initially responded to the new sanctions yesterday by launching several short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan.
The alleged readying of the North Korean nuclear arsenal puts the already precarious security situation of South Korea at further risk. The neighboring Koreas are still technically in a state of war, and tension between the two has been particularly high in recent months. Testifying before Congress February 9, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper warned that North Korea had restarted its plutonium reactor, and was poised to have weapons-grade material in a matter of weeks.
The U.S., in a bid to counter North Korean aggression and alleviate concerns of its South Korea ally, has engaged in negotiations to potentially deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in order to counter a potential North Korean missile launch. Initial talks over deploying THAAD began early February, however, it is unclear when and if the system will actually be deployed. China, a North Korean ally, has opposed the deployment.
U.S. Navy Adm. Harry Harris, the head of U.S. Pacific Command responded to the Chinese impediment during a press briefing February 25.
“But I think that — my opinion, that China’s interference in a decision that’s to be made between alliance partners — the Republic of Korea and the United States — their interference in that process is preposterous, especially when you consider that THAAD is not a threat to China,” said Harris. “And if China wanted to exert a lot of influence on somebody to prevent THAAD from being considered going into Korea, then they should exert that influence on North Korea.”
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