Kim Jong-un says North Korea ready to mobilise nuclear forces By Melissa Zhu

• North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un says country is ready for a military confrontation with the US.
• Comments come amid fears that Pyongyang is planning a seventh nuclear test. North Korea has conducted 31 missile tests this year, compared to previous record-breaking year of 2019.
• North Korea’s Kim Jong-un has warned that pre-emptive strikes would “obliterate” South Korean President Yoon Suk-government yeol’s and military. New South Korean defence policy could allow Seoul to strike North first if Seoul believes Pyongyang is about to launch a nuclear attack.

North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, has stated that the country’s nuclear deterrent is ready for deployment.

Mr Kim said at a Korean War anniversary event that the country was “fully prepared for any military confrontation” with the US, according to state news agency KCNA.

The remarks come amid fears that North Korea is planning a seventh nuclear test.

Last month, the US warned that Pyongyang could conduct such a test at any time.

North Korea conducted its most recent nuclear test in 2017. However, tensions on the Korean peninsula have been rising.

According to US Special Representative to North Korea Sung Kim, North Korea has conducted 31 missile tests this year, compared to 25 in the previous record-breaking year of 2019.

South Korea responded in June by launching eight missiles of its own.

Mr Kim said in his speech marking the occasion that North Korea needed to complete the “urgent historical task” of beefing up its self-defense.

He added that the US had misrepresented North Korea’s regular military exercises as provocations.

Mr Kim also appeared to address reports that South Korea is reviving a plan to counter North Korean nuclear threats by conducting pre-emptive strikes in the event of an impending attack.

The so-called “Kill Chain” strategy, first proposed a decade ago, calls for pre-emptive strikes on Pyongyang’s missiles and possibly its top leadership.

Some analysts have warned that it comes with its own set of risks and could spark an arms race.

Mr. Kim stated at the Victory Day celebration that pre-emptive strikes would “obliterate” South Korean President Yoon Suk-government yeol’s and military.

Kim Jong-warning Un’s that the Korean peninsula is “on the verge of war” is terrifying. However, North Korean rhetoric is frequently venomous, particularly on significant anniversaries.

It shows how enraged the North Korean regime is with South Korea’s new President Yoon Suk-yeol.

President Yoon has outlined a new, more aggressive defence policy since taking office in May. It would allow South Korean forces to strike the North first if Seoul believes Pyongyang is about to launch a nuclear attack.

South Korea would be able to launch pre-emptive ballistic missile and air strikes on North Korean targets, including the North Korean command and control structures, under this so-called “Kill Chain” strategy. In other words, attempting to assassinate Kim Jong-Un.

Pyongyang is also dissatisfied with Washington’s lack of engagement since President Biden took over for Donald Trump.

All of this could indicate that the North is planning a deliberate escalation.

Pyongyang is now widely expected to conduct a seventh underground nuclear test. Since March, preparations have been underway at the Punggye-ri test site.

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