Prepared for military confrontation with US: North Korea
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has claimed that North Korea is ready to activate its nuclear weapons.
Speaking on the anniversary of the Korean War, Mr. Kim added that the country was "fully prepared for any military confrontation" with the United States, state news agency KCNA reported.
The comments come amid concerns that North Korea is preparing for a seventh nuclear test.
The US had warned last month that Pyongyang could conduct such an experiment at any time.
In 2017, North Korea conducted its last nuclear test . However, on the Korean Peninsula tensions are rising.
The US special representative for North Korea, Song Kim, says that North Korea has conducted an unusual number of missile tests this year. This year, North Korea has conducted 31 tests, while in 2019, North Korea conducted 25 tests.
South Korea in June responded by launching eight missiles.
Although the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, North Korea celebrates it as a victory over the United States. The annual 'Victory Day' celebrations are celebrated with military parades, fireworks and dancing.
In his address at the event, Mr Kim said North Korea needed to achieve the "urgent historic task" of strengthening its defenses due to nuclear threats from the US.
He added that the US had misrepresented North Korea's regular military exercises as a provocation.
Mr Kim also appeared to address reports that South Korea was moving to revive a plan to counter North Korea's nuclear threat by taking precautionary measures in the event of a possible attack. .
South Korea's 'kill chain' strategy, first adopted a decade ago, was a plan to eliminate Pyongyang's missiles and possibly its top leadership.
Some analysts have warned that this has its own risks and could fuel an arms race.
At a Victory Day ceremony, Mr Kim said the government and military of South Korean President Yoon Seok-yul would be "wiped out" if they launched an attack.
Is North Korea on the brink of war?
Kim Jong-un's warning that the Korean Peninsula is 'on the brink of war' sounds dire. But North Korea's rhetoric is often fiery, especially during celebrations of important national days.
This shows how angry the North Korean government is with South Korea's new president, Yoon Seok-yul.
Since taking office in May, President Yun has enacted a new, more aggressive defense policy. Under this policy, South Korean forces can preemptively attack North Korea if South Korea believes it is under threat of a nuclear attack from North Korea.
This so-called 'kill chain' strategy involves South Korea launching pre-emptive ballistic missile and air strikes on North Korean targets, including destroying North Korean command and control structures. In other words, it includes killing North Korean President Kim Jong-un.
North Korea is also unhappy with Washington cutting off dialogue with Pyongyang since President Biden took office.
The situation has raised concerns that the situation is moving towards a point where a deliberate provocation by North Korea can be expected.
Everyone now fears that Pyongyang may conduct a seventh underground nuclear test. Preparations have been going on at the Pingi re-test site since March.