North Korea warns US and South Korea against escalating tensions to 'point of explosion'

Yesterday, 5 April, the US flew nuclear-capable B-52 bombers to the Korean Peninsula as part of its joint military exercises with South Korea. Today, Thursday 6 April, North Korea has responded, issuing a stark warning to the two allied countries.

North Korea accused the United States and South Korea of pushing the situation on the Korean Peninsula 'to the brink of nuclear war'. As reported by state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), it vowed to respond with 'offensive action'.

A commentary published by KCNA on 6 April, cited by Reuters, condemned the continuing drills as 'a trigger for driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to the point of explosion'.

US allegedly causing an 'irreversible catastrophe'

The article cited Choe Ju Hyon, an international security analyst, as saying:

The reckless military confrontational hysteria of the US and its followers against the DPRK is driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to an irreversible catastrophe … to the brink of a nuclear war.

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

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It added:

Now the international community unanimously hopes that the dark clouds of a nuclear war hanging over the Korean peninsula will be removed as early as possible.

Korean peninsula 'can be detonated at any moment'

Last week, the US also sent the nuclear-powered USS Nimitz aircraft carrier for naval training with South Korea.

The commentary pointed to the involvement of this aircraft carrier as intended at provoking confrontation, saying Pyongyang will respond to the exercises by deterring war through 'offensive action'.

It added:

The drills have turned the Korean peninsula into a huge powder magazine which can be detonated any moment.

North Korea views the drills between the US and South Korea as practice for invading the country.

Sources used:

Al Jazeera: 'US flies nuclear-capable bombers as tensions soar with N Korea'

Al Jazeera: ''Brink of nuclear war': North Korea warning on military drills'