Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned on Thursday that US forces are ready to “fight tonight,” in response to the resumption of North Korean exercises between the US and South Korea.
The US and South Korean armed forces have resumed military exercises after interrupting the exercises more than a year ago due to concerns about the coronavirus.
Our force remains ready to ‘fight tonight’ and we continue to make progress towards the eventual transition from wartime operational control to a [Republic of Korea]-commanded, future Combined Forces Command, ”Austin said.
“While meeting all the conditions for this transition will take more time, I am convinced that this process will strengthen our alliance,” the Secretary of Defense continued.
Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Japan on Monday for a four-day trip to reaffirm America’s commitment to allies in the region.
Washington-led diplomacy efforts aimed at denuclearizing North Korea have stalled due to disputes over sanctions. Experts weigh a possible compromise that would freeze the dictatorship’s nuclear activities in exchange for relaxed sanctions.
“We are committed to denuclearizing North Korea, reducing the broader threat the DPRK poses to the United States and our allies, and improving the lives of all Koreans, including the people of North Korea who are still is dealing with widespread and systematic abuses at the hands of their repressive government, ”Austin said at the press conference on Thursday.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister rebuked the Biden government earlier this week over slamming war drills, which Pyongyang sees as an invasion rehearsal.
“We take this opportunity to warn the new US government that is doing its best to release powder scent in our country,” Kim Yo Jong said in a statement to the state news agency KCNA. “If it wants to sleep in peace for the next four years, it better refrain from causing stench on the first step.”
Some experts think the Hermit Kingdom will escalate its missile tests as a negotiating tactic. The country’s declining economy is reeling from recent natural disasters and pandemic-related border restrictions that have impacted trade.
With pole wires