N. Korea urges US to stop military threats
This photo shows a North Korean jet for the Guards 1st Air Division of the Korean People's Army, released by the Korean Central News Agency, May 17. Yonhap
North Korea on Sunday called on the United States to abandon its military threats against others if it has concerns about its mainland safety.
The head of the policy office at the North's defense ministry released a statement, carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), claiming that "the security guarantee of the U.S. mainland" depends on giving up "military threats and aggressive attempts" against other nations.
"Recently, the U.S. military is hell-bent on inciting the 'threat' from the DPRK to its mainland while attempting to increase the arms buildup on the largest scale," the statement read, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The statement added that U.S. military officials are "picking a quarrel with the DPRK's self-defensive measures for bolstering up its nuclear force on several occasions, unhesitatingly making provocative remarks hinting at the possibility of outbreak of a war with the DPRK."
Citing a recent U.S. test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, the statement said it was an "illogical way of thinking" that the U.S. military actions are considered defensive, while the North's actions are seen as a threat.
"It is none other than the U.S.' unreasonable military threat, blackmail and military muscle strengthening that caused and have steadily escalated the 'external threat' to the U.S. mainland," the statement added.
It also said North Korea is making "sustained and practical efforts" to develop a war deterrent against security instability resulting from the U.S. nuclear arms buildup.