North Korean war chief slams ‘Yankee-style arrogance’ as WW3 fears escalate

The war-talk rhetoric is being ramped up in North Korea as officials continue to fume over joint military drills by the United States and enemy South Korea in recent weeks

A mouthpiece for North Korea’s despotic leader has gone on an unhinged rant against the “gangster-like logic” of the United States. Published in the Pyongyang times, a strange tirade has appeared from Kim Yong Bok, first deputy chief of the General Staff of the so-called Korean People’s Army.

Given that everything in the PYT is approved by the almighty leader, the words can almost be attributed to Jong-un. However, Yong Bok has issued a scathing attack as the fallout from joint military drill called Freedom Shield by South Korea and the United States continues in the country.

Calling it a large-scale war drill against a state can never be “defensive”, he also claimed that the US wants to take over the region.

He said: “The threatening nature of ‘Freedom Shield’ is clearly proved by the US intention to occupy the Korean peninsula and direct the arrow of attack against its enemy states in the region.

“Recently the US military authorities said that the US forces in the ROK do not focus only on the Korean peninsula and the ROK is like an island or an anchored aircraft carrier between Japan and the mainland of China, talking about the so-called strategic flexibility of the US forces in the ROK.

“The typical Yankee-style arrogance and impudence of the “war apostle” aiming to distort the reality and turn black into white with the third-rate wordplay while infringing upon the security interests of a sovereign state and endangering the regional security environment can never work.

“We are watching everything carefully and ready to cope with any situation. The US and ROK sides would be well advised to bear in mind that if they continuously persist in the above-said military rehearsal, they will certainly face an unpleasant situation and pay dearly for it.”

According to the US Department of Defense, the drill started on August 18 and will go on until August 28, with the aim of “enhancing the combined, joint, all-domain and inter-agency operating environment, thereby strengthening the regional alliance’s response capabilities”.

On the ground, a defence drill took place in Seoul to help educate locals and officials about how to react should North Korea launch an attack on the country.

Hundreds of people were seen fleeing to underground areas, especially metro stations, which were being used as bunkers, while soldiers were seen protecting key buildings, with the full scheme continuing for another week.

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