North Korean leader Kim Jong Un rejects possibility of dialogue with US and South Korea

Asia-Pacific, News October 11, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong Un rejected the possibility of initiating dialogues with South Korea and the United States, KCNA reported on October 10, 2022.

Kim Jong Un attended the Korean Public Army (KPA) military exercises and guided striking drills conducted by the country’s armed forces. The drills took place from September 25 to October 9, 2022.

After concluding the drill, Kim issued a statement saying that “enemies have still talked about dialogue and negotiation while posing military threats to us, but we have no content for dialogue with the enemies and felt no necessity to do so.” He further added that “above all, we should send a clearer signal to the enemies escalating the regional situation by involving the huge armed forces in any time with more powerful and resolute will and action.”

The North Korean leader also highlighted that KPA drills were aimed at extending North Korea’s deterrence against South Korea and the U.S. while simulating a tactical nuclear attack on South Korea.

According to North Korea’s state-owned media outlet KCNA, North Korea’s recent spree of missile tests was a part of the same tactical striking drills. the KPA conducted drills to retaliate against large-scale navy drills by South Korean and U.S. forces.

*^{North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un guides striking drills of the Korean People’s Army units. (Image Credit: KCNA)}*

Seoul and Tokyo detected several medium and long-range North Korean ballistic missiles launched on seven different occasions since September 25, 2022. Kim Jong Un confirmed that all the missiles carried mock nuclear warheads and they simulated a tactical nuclear attack on South Korea. He further said that the missile tests were meant to deliver a strong message of war deterrence.

KCNA also claimed that KPA Air Force carried out a large-scale combined air-attack drill during the exercises which involved more than 150 fighter planes taking off simultaneously for the first time in North Korea’s history.

KCNA also released some photos from the drills that showed different ballistic missiles used in the drills. Among the other missiles, there were KN-25 and KN-23 short-range ballistic missiles as well as one KN-09 300mm Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS). Experts confirmed that some of the missiles shown in the photos are new variants that have never been disclosed before.

*^{North Korea’s Hwasong-17 ICBM was launched from the Pyongyang International Airport and flew more than 1,000 kilometers. (Image Credit: KCNA via KNS)}*

Tension in Korean Peninsula has been rising since the U.S. Navy brought a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan to South Korea along with its strike group for the first time since 2018 and docked it at a naval base in South Korea’s southern port city, Busan.

The U.S. and South Korean military held joint maritime exercises as well as target shooting practices shortly after North Korea fired one of its longest-ranging ballistic missiles on October 4, 2022.