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N. Korea warns of preemptive attack against S. Korea

March 16, 2016

SEOUL (Yonhap) — North Korea said Wednesday its military will launch a preemptive attack if it sees any signs that the South Korean and U.S. troops involved in annual joint military drills are attempting to invade the North.

The warning, which came in a special statement from the North Korean government, political parties and organizations, is the latest in the North’s threats of preemptive attack over the drills.

South Korea and the United States kicked off the annual Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises for a weeks-long run on March 7 in South Korea, mobilizing some 300,000 local troops along with 17,000 U.S. forces.

After the first half of the drill focused on defense against possible attacks from the North, the troops continued with part two of the drill on Monday, conducting a joint battalion-level simulated exercise aimed at attacking key facilities in a mock-up North Korean city.

This year’s exercises of South Korea and Washington are the largest yet in size and come on the heels of North Korea’s surprise nuclear test in January and a long-range missile test last month.

“While frantically staging the largest-ever joint military drills, Key Resolve and Foal Eagle 16, against the DPRK throughout South Korea, the enemies are pushing ahead with ‘scenario for attack drill part 2,’ the key note of which is the ‘operation for advance into the northern inland area’ targeting the strategic key area of the DPRK,” said the statement carried by the North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency.

DPRK stands for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the North’s official name.

“Once there is a slight sign of the start of their foolish special operation, the Korean People’s Army will promptly launch the battle for preemptive attack without hesitation,” the North said.

North Korea last released a statement from the “DPRK government, political parties and organizations” on March 30, 2013, to declare that inter-Korean relations will go into a state of war.