North Korea Warns of Pre-Emptive Strikes Against the South

North Korea said Saturday its military is ready to pre-emptively attack and “liberate” the South if it sees signs that American and South Korean troops involved in annual joint military drills are attempting to invade the North.

U.S. Marines (L) and South Korean Marines, wearing blue headbands on their helmets, take positions after landing on the beach during the joint military combined amphibious exercise, called Ssangyong, part of the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle military exercises, in Pohang, South Korea, on March 12, 2016. Kim Jun-bum/Yonhap via AP

SEOUL, South Korea—North Korea said Saturday its military is ready to pre-emptively attack and “liberate” the South if it sees signs that American and South Korean troops involved in annual joint military drills are attempting to invade the North.

The declaration from General Staff of the North’s Korean People’s Army on state media is the latest outburst over the drills that the U.S. and South Korea say are defensive and routine. At the start of the drills on Monday, the North warned of an indiscriminate “pre-emptive nuclear strike of justice” on Washington and Seoul.

The KPA said it will counter the drills by the United States and South Korea it says are aimed at advancing into Pyongyang with plans to “liberate the whole of South Korea including Seoul” and also that it is capable of executing “ultra-precision blitzkrieg” strikes against enemy targets.

READ MORE

• Why China Is Willing to Work With United States to Sanction North Korea
• Missing the Big Picture, US Policy on North Korea Could Bring Disaster