North Korea vows nuclear expansion amid US-South Korea drills

Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s leader, has pledged to intensify the expansion of his nation’s nuclear arsenal after condemning joint military drills between the United States and South Korea, according to Al Jazeera via Associated Press on August 19th. 

During an inspection of a naval destroyer, Kim said the exercises were a sign of  “hostile intent” and “an obvious expression of their will to provoke war.”

He continued to emphasise that North Korea must “rapidly expand” its nuclear program, calling for the inclusion of “nuclear elements” within the drills.

The joint military drills are part of the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which is expected to run for 11 days and include 40 field training sessions. However, now roughly half have been postponed to September. 

South Korea’s government says the adjustment was made in line with President Lee Jae Myung’s appeal to reduce tensions. Even so, analysts doubt that North Korea will view the shift as conciliatory. 

Both parties assert that the exercises are designed to strengthen readiness against North Korea’s advancing missile and nuclear programs. They insist the drills are purely defensive, but North Korea has long rejected that claim, often arguing they amount to invasion rehearsals and frequently responding with weapons tests.

North Korea’s stance is expected to be a key topic when U.S President Donald Trump meets South Korean President Lee in Washington later this month, as they seek to curb North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. In addition to diplomatic efforts, Trump has explored broader measures against Pyongyang, including visa restrictions under a proposed travel ban. 

An analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, Hong Min, asserted that “through this move, North Korea is demonstrating its refusal to accept denuclearisation and the will to irreversibly upgrade nuclear weapons.”

A study released by the Federation of American Scientists last year estimated North Korea has accumulated enough missile material for up to 90 nuclear warheads, though some analysts believe the number of operational weapons is closer to 50.

South Korea previously warned that North Korea could request Russian nuclear and missile technology in return for backing Moscow in Ukraine.

North Korea is also modernising its navy, with a third 5,000-tonne Choe Hyon-class destroyer expected by next October, as well as new cruise and anti-air missiles in development.

Together, the US and Russia possess about 90 percent of the global nuclear arsenal.

Al Jazeera via Associated Press, Maghrebi.org