12 July 2017

News Story: DPRK accuses U.S., South Korea of intensifying war preparations

PYONGYANG, July 11 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Tuesday accused the United States and South Korea of intensifying war preparations after it launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) earlier this month.

"It was reported that the U.S. Department of Defense, much scared by the DPRK's success of test-launch of ICBM Hwasong-14 at one go, had a military attack scenario in the making such as hurling fighters and warships into the waters off the Korean peninsula," said the official daily newspaper Minju Joson (Democratic Korea).

The DPRK declared on July 4 that it successfully launched an ICBM on the same day, hailing it as the "final gate to rounding off the state nuclear force."

The launch has aroused grave concern from Russia and China, and drawn strong condemnation from the United Nations, South Korea and Japan, as it seriously violated relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

Minju Joson also accused South Korea of holding joint ballistic missile drills with U.S. forces to "deliberately escalate tensions" after the missile launch.

Meanwhile, Rodong Sinmun, the official daily of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, charged that South Korean military forces recently took part in the U.S.-led air defense exercises in Alaska.

Read the full story at Xinhua