DPRK military leaders vow to 'totally destroy' enemy if Kim orders it
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During a Saturday meeting attended by DPRK leader Kim Jong Un, the military officials accused the US and South Korea of "being hellbent on provoking a nuclear war."
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This picture taken on July 27, 2024, and released by the DPRK's official KCNA via KNS on July 28, 2024, shows Kim Jong Un placing a flower at the base of the Monument to the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War, during celebrations to mark the 71st anniversary of the end of the Korean War, in Pyongyang. (AFP)
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) vowed to "totally destroy" its enemies if leader Kim Jong Un orders it, state media KCNA reported on Sunday, as Pyongyang commemorated the end of hostilities in the Korean War.
According to KCNA, senior military officials, including Col. Ri Un-ryong and Lt. Cdr. Yu Kyong-song, expressed "surging hatred" toward the United States and South Korea during a Saturday meeting attended by Kim, marking the 71st anniversary of the Korean War armistice.
The military officials accused the US and South Korea of "being hellbent on provoking a nuclear war," pledging to enhance war efficiency to launch an "overwhelming attack on the enemy anytime and without delay and totally destroy them" once Kim gives an order.
On July 27, 1953, the DPRK signed an armistice agreement with the US and China, ending the three-year Korean War. US generals signed the agreement on behalf of the UN forces supporting South Korea.
While Pyongyang celebrates this as "Victory Day", South Korea does not observe the day with major events. The hostilities ended with a truce, not a peace treaty.
Meanwhile on Sunday in Tokyo, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Japan's Defense Minister Minoru Kihara met with their South Korean counterpart, Shin Won-sik, to sign an agreement on trilateral cooperation, which includes real-time sharing of DPRK missile warning data and joint military exercises.
On Friday, Kim stressed that it is the "sacred mission and duty of our generation" to "reliably defend our ideology and social system" and "build a people's paradise," according to KCNA.
The DPRK leader also praised China's support during the Korean War and said the "friendship established as the ties of kindred would be firmly carried forward."
He visited memorials honoring the war veterans, including the Tower of Friendship commemorating the Chinese People's Liberation Army soldiers who fought alongside DPRK forces, the news agency mentioned.
