PREPARING FOR WAR: South Korea conducts defence drills in face of Kim's provocation
THE United States is flexing its military muscle in South Korea amid growing tensions with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after the dictator promised an “annihilating strike” if it was attacked by the United States.
The threat to “defeat enemies with nuclear justice” was issued during the country’s 105th Day of the Sun parade, in which the socialist state celebrated the anniversary of its founder Kim Il-Sung’s birth.
North Korea has repeatedly accused President Trump of provoking armed conflict and has issued multiple threats of retaliation.
The latest outburst comes after Mr Trump send an aircraft carrier-led strike group to the Korean Peninsula, as US officials feared Kim would mark the national holiday by launching its sixth nuclear weapons test.US Army troops and Air Force conducted military defence exercises on Saturday in Paju, near the border between the Koreas.
Soldiers with M1A2 tanks participated in the emergency drills, conducted to simulate responses to a possible North Korean attack.
According to reports from Fox News, the military exercises in South Korea come just days after the US launched a similar surprise military drill at the Kadena Air Base in Japan, using HH-60 Pave Hawks, F-15 Eagles, E-3 Sentries and KC-135 Stratotankers.
North Korea has shown off its strength by testing two nuclear bombs and multiple missile tests in the last year.
EPA
Addressing crowds at the Day of the Sun parade, Kim Jong-un said: “If the United States wages reckless provocation against us, our revolutionary power will instantly counter with annihilating strike, and we will respond to full-out war with full-out war and to nuclear war with our style of nuclear strike warfare.”
During the parade, North Korea displayed what appeared to be new long-range and submarine-based missiles.
Missiles seem to have been the main theme of the giant parade, with Kim Jong-un taking time to greet the commander of the Strategic Forces - the branch of North Korea's military that oversees the military arsenal.
GETTY
Weapons analysts say some of the missiles on display were new types of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM).
The Pukkuksong submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) were also on parade.
It was the first time North Korea had shown the missiles, which have a range of more than 1,000 km (600 miles), at a military parade.
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