North Korea threatens nuclear war? Over the weekend, Pyongyang held a massive rally in protest of America’s involvement on the Korean peninsula. Kim Jong Un’s regime blames the U.S. for its “desperate efforts to ignite a nuclear war.”
On Monday, the North Korean government released a report detailing how any military conflict would culminate in a “thermonuclear war unprecedented in the world.” According to several state-run media outlets, more than 100,000 North Koreans participated in the demonstrations, some changing slogans pledging a “war of revenge” against America.
What Is North Korea Doing?
Washington, Seoul, and other allies have collaborated for decades in attempts to thwart Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions.
However, these efforts have largely failed, and North Korea has been ramping up dangerous launches and other hostile behavior in recent years. Last month, North Korea unsuccessfully attempted to launch a military spy satellite to monitor the
U.S. Analysts believe this weekend’s protests could be a lead up to a secondary launch attempt.
Kim Jung Un’s regime published its anti-U.S. report via its Institute for American Studies. In addition to condemning U.S. arms transfers to Seoul, the report denounced continued joint military exercises in the region, “espionage,” and fueling hostilities on the peninsula.
In early June, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Japanese and South Korean counterparts met to discuss the increased nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.
The three officials also reaffirmed their commitments to carry out maritime joint drills and to strengthen “trilateral responses to the DPRK’s nuclear and missile threats and deterring against those threats, including anti-submarine exercises and missile defense exercises.”
North Korea has launched over 100 missile tests since 2022
Just two weeks later, Pyongyang launched two short-range ballistic missiles toward the waters between the Korean peninsula and Japan. This launch was reportedly in response to American-South Korean-Japanese cooperation, which Kim Jung Un’s regime views as a threat.
The missiles landed in Japan’s “exclusive economic zone,” a clear provocation according to Tokyo. Over the years, Pyongyang has worked to expand its arms arsenal. The regime has succeeded in upgrading its solid-fuel ballistic missiles that can also make mid-air maneuvers.
Additionally, a New York Times report detailed how Pyongyang is also expanding its cruise missiles program, submarine-launched missiles and underwater drones. Kim Jung Un’s regime claims that these new weapons could be nuclear-armed.
Since the start of 2022, North Korea is believed to have test-fired at least 100 missiles. Some of its launches, however, have not been successful. On May 31, Pyongyang launched a long-range rocket carrying its first spy satellite. Almost immediately, the rocket crashed off the Korean Peninsula’s west coast.
Perhaps Pyongyang is making up for the public failed launch by continuing to provoke its perceived “enemies.”
Sunday marked the anniversary of the start of the Korean War, which begun on June 25, 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea.
Pyongyang had hoped its military spy satellite launch could set off celebrations and will likely conduct a secondary launch in the imminent future to make up for its failure.
Maya Carlin, a Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.
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