North Korea vows ‘overwhelming offensive’ against US military

Seoul, June 24 (EFE).- North Korea on Saturday criticized the recent visit of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to China, accusing him of attempting to rally support from China to pressure Pyongyang into surrendering.

The reclusive nation issued a stern warning, stating that any military escalation by the United States on the Korean Peninsula would be met with a more forceful and aggressive response.

A statement from the foreign ministry claimed that Blinken, during his recent visit to China, made threatening remarks suggesting that the US would take military action.

A foreign ministry statement said Blinken, during his recent visit to China, made threatening remarks that the US would take military measures.

“By talking such rubbish, Blinken betrayed himself that he, styling himself experienced and intelligent man in the US diplomatic camp, is no more than a low-class diplomat,” said Kwon Jong-gun, director general of the Department of US Affairs of the North Korean foreign ministry,

“We seriously warn that the scale and scope of the (North Korean) counteraction measures will be extended more overwhelmingly and offensively in case the escalation of the US military action and provocation in the Korean peninsula and the region is spotted,” Kwon said in the statement published by the state-run Korea Central News Agency.

Kwon also claimed that Blinken urged China to exert pressure on Pyongyang to resume the stalled peace talks with South Korea and the US.

During Blinken’s trip last week, which marked the first visit by a US Secretary of State in five years, Washington and Beijing agreed to improve their relations despite their growing rivalry.

Blinken requested that Beijing use its influence over North Korea, as China is the main trading partner of the reclusive nation, to prevent Kim Jong-un’s regime from developing weapons of mass destruction.

“Unless the US stops the act of violating our sovereignty and threatening us in disregard of our rights and interests and takes a clear action measure to lift its heinous hostile policy toward (North Korea, there will be neither restraint nor adjustment in the latter’s exercise of its right to self defence,” said Kwon.

Peace talks between North Korea, South Korea, and the US have remained stalled since the failed Hanoi summit in 2019 between Kim and former US president Donald Trump.

North Korea rejected calls to resume dialogue after South Korea and the US resumed large-scale joint military exercises and deployed US strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula. EFE

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