DPRK accuses U.S., South Korea of intensifying war preparations

PYONGYANG, July 11 (Xinhua) — The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Tuesday accused the United States and South Korea of intensifying war preparations after it launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) earlier this month.

“It was reported that the U.S. Department of Defense, much scared by the DPRK’s success of test-launch of ICBM Hwasong-14 at one go, had a military attack scenario in the making such as hurling fighters and warships into the waters off the Korean peninsula,” said the official daily newspaper Minju Joson (Democratic Korea).

The DPRK declared on July 4 that it successfully launched an ICBM on the same day, hailing it as the “final gate to rounding off the state nuclear force.”

The launch has aroused grave concern from Russia and China, and drawn strong condemnation from the United Nations, South Korea and Japan, as it seriously violated relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

Minju Joson also accused South Korea of holding joint ballistic missile drills with U.S. forces to “deliberately escalate tensions” after the missile launch.

Meanwhile, Rodong Sinmun, the official daily of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, charged that South Korean military forces recently took part in the U.S.-led air defense exercises in Alaska.

“They set in motion air force including KF-16 fighter bombers formation to stage bomber guided exercises, coordinated precision bomb dropping drill and air refueling drill targeting surprise attack at key facilities of the DPRK,” it said.

The paper also criticized South Korea for its “commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the second Yonphyong naval skirmish,” which broke out between patrol boats of the DPRK and South Korea along a disputed maritime boundary in the Yellow Sea in 2002.

Rodong Sinmun remarked that “trumpeting dialogue” is meaningless as long as Seoul does not abandon a policy of confrontation with Pyongyang, in reference to repeated appeals for dialogue by South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

“The South Korean authorities are well advised to stop the foolish act of challenging the nation’s desire and will for the improvement of the north-south relations and peace and reunification of the country, and behave with discretion,” it added.

The DPRK has denounced Moon’s recent visit to the United States, describing it as a gesture of “submission” to Washington which meant a “betrayal” to his supporters in the election campaign this year.