While it has been widely suspected South Korea had a fairly well-developed plan to take out Kim, CNN reports some surprise that the Defense Minister would openly discuss it in parliament, especially given how sensitive the North Koreans are to insults and threats.
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China, whose full backing is widely seen as crucial for sanctions on North Korea to be effective, is strongly opposed to the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system and some experts have argued it should be part of talks on new United Nations measures.
In a defiant speech before the U.N. General Assembly, Ri Yong Ho said the Korean Peninsula “has now been turned into the world’s most unsafe hot spot which can even ignite the outbreak of a nuclear war”.
Beijing has also said it will work within the United Nations to formulate a necessary response to the latest nuclear test, but questions remain as to whether it is willing agree on tough enough steps to force North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons programme.
Mr Ri said: “The United States will have to face tremendous consequences beyond imagination”.
North Korea has spent months aggressively building up its nuclear missile program, launching bout sea and and land-based test runs.
“Going nuclear-armed is the policy of our state”, he said.
Mr Ri claimed that American B-1B bombers which flew over South Korea earlier this week crossed the demarcation line separating the two Koreas.
Discussions are already under way on a possible new United Nations sanctions resolution after North Korea’s fifth and largest nuclear test on September 9.
During his 15-minute speech, he referred to the U.S. 25 times in a manner that suggested North Korea has pitted itself against the U.S. He hammered the point that Pyongyang will continue pursuing its nuclear and missile programs despite sanctions imposed by a large part of the global community.
South Korea’s defense ministry has said it assumes North Korea will conduct a sixth nuclear test.
“The bond between the United States and the Republic of Korea is ironclad and the strength of that commitment will not be shaken by North Korea’s aggressive behavior”, said Bergeson, the commander of the 7th Air Force, reported The Diplomat. On Monday, Washington said US President Barack Obama and China’s Premier Li Keqiang agreed in a meeting on the sidelines of the UN assembly to step up cooperation in the UN Security Council and in law enforcement channels.
It has always been suspected that such a plan is in place, but the minister’s candid acknowledgement last Wednesday was unexpected, CNN reported.
“The threat to the worldwide community has become increasingly grave and all the more realistic”, he said Wednesday.
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However, such a proposal is likely to be opposed by China, Pyongyang s ally, which has repeatedly called for a de-escalation of tensions.
