Kim calls for invasion preparations in North Korea amid US, allies’ exercises

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday called on his Navy to be prepared for an invasion, as the United States and key allies hold military exercises Kim described as attempts to provoke nuclear war.

In a speech marking North Korea’s Navy Day, Kim addressed the Navy Command, lauding service members’ work. He also stressed the importance of modernizing the Navy, “in view of the enemies’ recent aggressive attempts and character of military actions,” state-run media reported. 

Kim raised concerns over a recent trilateral naval exercise conducted by the U.S., Japan, and South Korea. He also mentioned the recent summit at Camp David, which the countries’ leaders described as an inflection point in history, and during which the three countries pledged to continue conducting drills and to “elevate defense collaboration,” in light of Kim’s heightened threats of nuclear war.

He described the leaders as “the gang bosses” of their respective countries, according to state media. 

Currently, the United States and South Korea are in the middle of a 11-day annual training exercise, called Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS). The exercise is being conducted from Aug. 21-31. 

Kim has often referred to these annual drills as an invasion rehearsal. Washington has maintained that the drills are for defensive purposes, saying the exercise is “designed to strengthen the combined defense posture and Alliance response capabilities based on scenarios that reflect diverse threats within the security environment.”

In his speech, Kim described the U.S. as “getting more frantic than ever” and called on the Navy “to fully arm the officers and men of the units and sub-units at all levels with our Party’s Juche-oriented naval and underwater war methods and focus on developing new strategic and tactical plans for getting familiar with ever-changing patterns of naval warfare,” state media reported.

The North Korean leader continued to warn of nuclear threats posed by the United States and its allies.

“Owing to the reckless confrontational moves of the US and other hostile forces, the waters off the Korean Peninsula have been reduced into the world’s biggest war hardware concentration spot, the most unstable waters with the danger of a nuclear war,” Kim said, according to state media.

“The prevailing situation requires our Navy to put all its efforts into rounding off the war readiness to maintain the constant combat alertness, and get prepared to break the enemy’s will for war in contingency and carry out the military strategy of the Supreme Headquarters,” he continued.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Kim’s language to describe the leaders of the U.S., South Korea and Japan was “very rude,” the AP reported. Spokesperson Lim Soosuk told reporters North Korea must immediately stop acts that raise tensions with “reckless threats and provocation.”

Cho Hyundong, South Korea’s ambassador to the United States, said the three countries would not be deterred by Kim’s rhetoric, according to the AP. 

“The continued provocation and continued violation of multiple critical U.N. security resolutions by North Korea will only strengthen the trilateral security cooperation,” Cho said.