Posted
Photo:
Kim Jong-un's North Korea has issued another blunt warning to the US. (Reuters: Kyodo/AP: Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
North Korea has warned of a nuclear attack on the
United States at any sign of American aggression, as a US Navy strike
group steams towards the western Pacific.
Key points:
- North Korea says its "revolutionary strong army is keenly watching" US moves
- Donald Trump has urged China to do more on the North Korea issue
- North Korea is set to celebrate the 105th anniversary of Kim Il-sung's birth
Tension has escalated sharply on the Korean peninsula amid concerns that reclusive North Korea may soon conduct a sixth nuclear test and after Washington said at the weekend it was diverting US Navy strike group Carl Vinson from port calls to Australia toward the Korean Peninsula as a show of force.
US officials have stressed that stronger sanctions are the most likely US course to press North Korea to abandon its nuclear program.
But Washington has said all options, including military ones, are on the table and that a US strike last week against Syria should serve as a warning to Pyongyang.
North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said the country was prepared to respond to any aggression.
"Our revolutionary strong army is keenly watching every move by enemy elements with our nuclear sight focused on the US invasionary bases not only in South Korea and the Pacific operation theatre but also in the US mainland," it said.South Korea's acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn warned of "greater provocations" by North Korea and ordered the military to intensify monitoring and ensure close communication with Washington.
"It is possible the North may wage greater provocations such as a nuclear test timed with various anniversaries including the Supreme People's Assembly," said Mr Hwang, acting leader since former president Park Geun-hye was removed amid a corruption scandal.
Photo:
The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson is heading toward the Korean Peninsula. (Reuters: Tom Tonthat/US Navy, file image)
Trump calls for Chinese action
Mr Trump said in a tweet that a trade deal between China and the United States would be "far better for them if they solved the North Korea problem".
North Korea
is looking for trouble. If China decides to help, that would be great.
If not, we will solve the problem without them! U.S.A.
China's ambassador to the United Nations, Liu Jieyi, repeated China's call for a return to dialogue with North Korea.
"The situation is tense and we certainly want a peaceful solution and we believe that it is highly important to move toward denuclearisation, to maintain peace and stability and it's time that different sides sit down to talk about achieving these objectives," he said.
Asked about Mr Trump linking a trade deal to China's help with North Korea: "We need to look at the situation on the Korean Peninsula as something that we should work together on."
North Korea convened a Supreme People's Assembly session on Tuesday, one of its twice-yearly sessions attended by leader Kim Jong-un, and reported a successful national budget execution and personnel appointments, the official KCNA news agency said.
The agency made no mention of North Korea's nuclear weapons program or being under threat from the United States.
South Korean officials sought to quell talk in social media of an impending security crisis.
"We'd like to ask for precaution so as not to get blinded by exaggerated assessment about the security situation on the Korean Peninsula," Defence Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-kyun said.
North Korea preparing for Kim Il-sung anniversary
Saturday is the 105th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il-sung, North Korea's founding father and grandfather of the current ruler.A military parade is expected in Pyongyang to mark the day. North Korea often also marks important anniversaries with tests of its nuclear or missile capabilities in breach of UN Security Council resolutions.
What's next in North Korea?
North Korea's launch of four ballistic missiles towards Japan has unnerved the US, and it has decided enough is enough, writes Philip Williams.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad sent congratulations, lambasting "big powers" for their "expansionist" policy.
"The friendly two countries are celebrating this anniversary and, at the same time, conducting a war against big powers' wild ambition to subject all countries to their expansionist and dominationist policy and deprive them of their rights to self-determination," the North's KCNA news agency quoted his message as saying.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said it was concerned about many aspects of US foreign policy, particularly North Korea.
"We are really worried about what Washington has in mind for North Korea after it hinted at the possibility of a unilateral military scenario," the Ministry said.
Reuters
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