Mexico Star
14 Aug 2016, 13:53 GMT+10
SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea says it is preparing for a preemptive nuclear strike against the United States.
The country says it has switched the status of its military from defense mode to attack mode.
The deployment by the United States of three B-52 stealth bombers to Andersen Air Force Base at Guam earlier this week has unnerved the North Korean regime which said Saturday the deployment was preparation for a planned nuclear strike on North Korea.
The government said if it it sees any sign an invasion underway it will launch a nuclear strike against the U.S.
The Yonhap news agency based in Seoul in South Korea confirmed the Nortth Korean government statement which it picked up from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the North Korean official news agency.
"The U.S. attempt to invade the DPRK (Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea) is getting evermore reckless," KCNA said in a signed commentary.
The U.S. Air Force says it deployed the 3 B-52 to Guam on Tuesday, largely because of the recent rhetoric coming out of North Korea. Pyongyang however believes the United States is preparing for a pre-emptive nuclear strike.
"The U.S. evermore undisguised reinforcement of the nuclear force goes to clearly prove that it is trying to make a preemptive nuclear strike at the DPRK a fait accompli," said the commentary.
Warning that it could strike first, North Korea said: "The right to make a preemptive nuclear strike is not the monopoly of the U.S."
"The DPRK revolutionary armed forces switched from their existing mode of military counter-action to the mode of a preemptive strike to cope with the enemy's ridiculous military hysteria to undermine its sovereignty and right to existence," the KCNA statement said. "All their operational groups are fully ready to deal a merciless and annihilating blow to the enemy if they make even the slightest provocation," it added.
Saturday's developments coincide with an acceleration of conscription in North Korea. The government has introduced a new recruitment regulation which requires all men aged up to their mid-30s, who have dodged military service in the past, to now join up.
University students, factory workers, and men with families have been exempted in the past. They are now getting call-up notices to report for physical examinations.
Related stories:
U.S. urges all citizens to avoid travel to North Korea
North Korea Expands Conscription Policy
Get a daily dose of Mexico Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Mexico Star.
More Informationwashington - The United States on Wednesday voiced alarm over Sudan's release of a man sentenced to death over the ...
Phnom Penh - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is expected to visit Beijing next week looking to borrow more than ...
New Delhi [India], February 1 (ANI): The Central government will hire 38,800 teachers and support staff for Eklavya Model Residential ...
New Delhi [India], February 1 (ANI): With a thrust on better logistics and infrastructure, ease of doing business and inclusive ...
New Delhi [India], February 1 (ANI): During her Union Budget speech on Wednesday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India ...
NEW DELHI - India's economic growth will slow marginally this year, but the government expressed optimism Wednesday that the country's ...
WASHINGTON, DC - FBI agents on Wednesday searched for classified documents at U.S. President Joe Biden's vacation retreat in the ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: The White House said this week that Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk met with John Podesta, a Democratic ...
MANILA, Philippines: In an effort to attract more tourists, President Ferdinand Marcos has approved a value-added tax refund program for ...
TRIPOLI, Libya: Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni held talks on energy and migration in Libya this weekend, which are major ...
MIAMI, Florida: This decade, the US south is expected to see more new residents than any other region in the ...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: After reporting record revenues in the fourth-quarter of 2022, US airlines expect strong travel demand ...