North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called on his troops to be prepared for war, stating that military tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at “the worst level in history.” North Korea has sent more than 7,000 garbage balloons to South Korea, while the South recently reported that the North conducted ballistic missile tests.
As tensions between the two countries escalate over balloons and drones, mutual accusations are further escalating tensions in the region.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said military tensions on the Korean Peninsula were at “the worst level in history” during a speech at a Korean People’s Army (KPA) conference in the capital Pyongyang.
Kim described the tensions in the region as “the hottest point in the world” and stressed the need to boost his country’s military capacity, according to the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Kim called on his soldiers to “be prepared for a real war that could break out in the region.”
On the other hand, according to (Korean) Yonhap, North Korea launched around 40 balloons carrying trash toward South Korea early Friday, the South’s military said, just three days after a similar launch.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said it discovered “multiple” pieces of trash bundles dropped around parts of the inter-Korean border county of Cheorwon in Gangwon Province after the latest launch that began late Thursday.
It said the bundles consisted of household garbage, such as scrap paper and plastic, while no hazardous substances have been detected.
North Korea’s military said the allegations were “one-sided” and not worth verifying or responding to North Korea’s accuses South Korea of sending drones carrying anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets over the capital.
The balloon releases, which caused tension between the two countries, were described by North Korea as “freedom of expression,” while South Korea condemned the statement.
According to Al-Jazeera, “Now is the time to be more thoroughly prepared for a war than ever before,” the North Korean leader said at the Kim Jong Il University of Military and Politics, citing the “uncertain and unstable military and political situation” around.
North Korea has, in recent months, stepped up its accusations against South Korea and its ally, the United States, for what it called provoking military tensions by conducting “war manoeuvers” and holding military drills with greater intensity and scale.
According to Reuters, Kim told university staff and students that “if the enemy opts for a military confrontation with the DPRK, the DPRK will deal a death blow to the enemy without hesitation by mobilizing all means in its possession.”
