ID :
76061
Wed, 08/19/2009 - 15:39
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/76061
The shortlink copeid
N. Korea blasts S. Korea-U.S. drill, defends nuke ambitions
By Kim Hyun
SEOUL, Aug. 19 (Yonhap) -- North Korea defended its nuclear program on Wednesday, renewing its criticism of an ongoing South Korean-U.S. military exercise as a preparation for an atomic war.
Pyongyang routinely denounces such joint drills staged south of the border, while
the allies say they are purely defensive. This year's Ulchi Freedom Guardian
exercise began Monday and continues until Aug. 27, mobilizing 56,000 South Korean
troops and 10,000 American troops stationed here and abroad.
"Lurking behind them is a dangerous scheme for aggression to mount a preemptive
nuclear attack on the DPRK (North Korea)," the North's foreign ministry spokesman
was quoted as saying by the official Korean Central News Agency.
"The U.S. is so foolish as to try to stifle the ideology and system of the DPRK
by force of arms," the unidentified spokesman said.
The North Korean military said Monday it has put its 1.2 million troops on a
"special alert" in response. Seoul officials described the level of North Korea's
response as "ordinary."
North Korea withdrew from six-party denuclearization talks in April and conducted
its second nuclear test the following month.
The joint drill proves that North Korea's decision "to take one step after
another for bolstering up its self-defensive deterrent was a right option in
every aspect," the spokesman said.
"The DPRK will closely follow every movement of the U.S. and the South Korean
authorities and adopt a tough measure against any provocation," he said.
In a rare conciliatory gesture, North Korea this week agreed to resume reunions
of families separated by the Korean War and suspended cross-border tour programs.
Seoul officials said they plan to propose inter-Korean Red Cross talks to follow
up on the accord, reached by North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and Hyun Jeong-eun,
chairwoman of South Korea's Hyundai Group.
SEOUL, Aug. 19 (Yonhap) -- North Korea defended its nuclear program on Wednesday, renewing its criticism of an ongoing South Korean-U.S. military exercise as a preparation for an atomic war.
Pyongyang routinely denounces such joint drills staged south of the border, while
the allies say they are purely defensive. This year's Ulchi Freedom Guardian
exercise began Monday and continues until Aug. 27, mobilizing 56,000 South Korean
troops and 10,000 American troops stationed here and abroad.
"Lurking behind them is a dangerous scheme for aggression to mount a preemptive
nuclear attack on the DPRK (North Korea)," the North's foreign ministry spokesman
was quoted as saying by the official Korean Central News Agency.
"The U.S. is so foolish as to try to stifle the ideology and system of the DPRK
by force of arms," the unidentified spokesman said.
The North Korean military said Monday it has put its 1.2 million troops on a
"special alert" in response. Seoul officials described the level of North Korea's
response as "ordinary."
North Korea withdrew from six-party denuclearization talks in April and conducted
its second nuclear test the following month.
The joint drill proves that North Korea's decision "to take one step after
another for bolstering up its self-defensive deterrent was a right option in
every aspect," the spokesman said.
"The DPRK will closely follow every movement of the U.S. and the South Korean
authorities and adopt a tough measure against any provocation," he said.
In a rare conciliatory gesture, North Korea this week agreed to resume reunions
of families separated by the Korean War and suspended cross-border tour programs.
Seoul officials said they plan to propose inter-Korean Red Cross talks to follow
up on the accord, reached by North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and Hyun Jeong-eun,
chairwoman of South Korea's Hyundai Group.
