if they do not join forces in the wake of US military drills in the region
- North Korean foreign minister drafted a letter to 10 Southeast Asian countries
- In it, he said the situation on the Korean Peninsula was reaching the brink of war
- He blamed Washtington's actions for the 'grave situation' and asked for backing
- Tensions soared in the wake of North Korean missile tests and tough a US stance
North
Korea has warned of a nuclear holocaust if Southeast Asian countries do
not join forces in the wake of US military drills in the region.
In
a letter to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' secretary
general, North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong-Ho insisted the situation
on the Korean Peninsula was 'reaching the brink of war' because of
Washington's actions.
He urged the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) chief to inform the 10
countries' foreign ministers 'about the grave situation' on the
peninsula 'and give them a proper proposal', and also heavily criticised
US-South Korean military exercises.
Tensions
have soared in the region in recent weeks in the wake of a series of
North Korean missile tests and tough rhetoric from Washington on the
isolated nation's rogue weapons programme.
North Korean soldiers march with huge weapons as the country's foreign minister warns of war
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches the Masikryong ski competition last year
A still taken from a broadcast
in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT on Wednesday, April 26, 2017,
shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to
celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan,
North Korea
The Nimitz-class aircraft
carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) as it transits the Philippine Sea while
conducting a bilateral exercise with the Japan Maritime Self Defense
Force in the Philippine Sea, the military exercises referred to by the
North Korean ministry
The
North's letter, dated March 23, emerged ahead of the regional bloc's
summit this week in Manila where delegates are expected to discuss the
situation on the peninsula.
It read: 'I
express my expectations that ASEAN which attaches great importance to
the regional peace and stability will make an issue of the US-South
Korean joint military exercises at ASEAN conferences from the fair
position and play an active role in safeguarding the peace and safety of
Korean Peninsula.'
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A draft of ASEAN's end-of-summit
chairman statement obtained this week had a portion on the Korean
Peninsula still blank, meaning the leaders had yet to agree on what to
say on the issue.
North Korea is known to have close ties with some ASEAN members, including Cambodia and Laos.
Kim Jong Nam, pictured, died earlier this year
Pyongyang's
diplomatic ties with Malaysia were disrupted after the assassination in
Kuala Lumpur in February of Kim Jong-Nam, the estranged half-brother of
North Korean lader Kim Jong-Un.
South Korea has blamed Pyongyang for the killing, accusing its agents of using a banned nerve agent.
Ri
wrote in the letter that the annual US-South Korea military exercises
justified Pyongyang's decision to develop its own nuclear weapons.
'It
is a fact clear to everyone that when they deploy the means of nuclear
strike that can drive the Korean Peninsula into a nuclear holocaust in
just seconds - the nature of such exercises can in no way be defensive,'
the letter said.
Washington has
deployed an aircraft carrier strike group to the Korean peninsula amid
signs the North could be preparing for a sixth nuclear test.
Admiral
Harry Harris, who heads the US Pacific Command, said in Washington this
week the US Carl Vinson strike group was in the Philippine Sea just
east of Okinawa, 'in striking range and power projection range of North
Korea if called upon to do that'.
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