Kim claimed that the U.S. was conducting “more frantic’ naval drills and had deployed strategic assets around the Korean Peninsula. Kim cited the recent U.S., South Korean and Japanese summit in which an agreement was reached on boosting defense cooperation to counter North Korea’s nuclear program. Kim called South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishhida and U.S. President Joe Biden “the gang leaders” of all three countries.
Kim stated that “the current situation requires our Navy to round off its war readiness in order to maintain constant combat alertness, and to be prepared to break enemy will to war as a contingency.”
The South Korean Foreign Ministry expressed regret for Kim’s “very rude language,” which he used to insult South Korean, U.S., and Japanese leaders. Lim Soosuk, the spokesperson for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry, told reporters that North Korea should immediately cease acts of “reckless provocation and threats” that cause tensions.
The drills, which took place in international waters near South Korea’s southern island of Jeju on Tuesday, involved destroyers from all three countries. South Korea’s Navy said the training was designed to master procedures for detecting and tracking incoming North Korean rockets.
On August 21, the U.S. military and South Korean army began their 11-day bilateral exercises. Ulchi Freedom shield is an annual computer-simulated exercise that simulates a command post. This year, they also included field exercises.
North Korea usually responds to U.S. and South Korean military exercises with its own missile test. Its second attempt to launch into space a spy satellite failed last Thursday. Kim was reported to have observed test firings of strategic missiles on the day that the drills started by KCNA.
North Korea has conducted more than 100 weapon tests since the start of 2022. Many of these tests involved nuclear-capable rockets that were designed to attack the U.S.A., South Korea, and Japan. Experts say that North Korea wants to leverage its increased military capability to gain concessions from the U.S.
North Korea’s test-frenzy has forced U.S., South Korea and Japan to increase their drills. They have also resumed trilateral training with Japan and increased “regular transparency” of U.S. Strategic Assets on the Korean Peninsula. The United States sent a nuclear-armed sub to South Korea in July for the first time since the 1940s.
In the first week of this month, leaders from the U.S.A., South Korea, and Japan met at Camp David for the first time. They announced that they would begin sharing real-time data about North Korea’s missile threats by the end of the year and conduct annual trilateral exercises.
Kim has been working hard to increase his arsenal of nuclear weapons and introduce sophisticated weapon systems.
Kim was photographed by state media with his daughter Ju Ae, who is reportedly 10 years old and named Ju Ae. This was her first appearance in public since mid-May. Kim has taken her to several public events since November. This has sparked speculation about her status as a politician.
Officials in South Korea say Kim did not anoint her as his successor. Kim is believed to have used his daughter’s appearance in public to demonstrate to his people that he would eventually be able to pass his power to one of his kids, which would make it the third time this country has experienced a hereditary transfer.
