ALBAWABA - North Korea displayed its armaments during an artillery drill as a show of force in retaliation to the joint military drill between the US and South Korea. With North Korea's artillery systems potentially dangerous and potentially causing large civilian casualties in the case of an assault, analysts have warned that this move has increased tensions in the region.
The Ministry of Defense in North Korea has strongly condemned the joint exercise, called "Freedom Shield Exercise," calling it "provocative" and "reckless." On a visit to a military base in the western part of the nation, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has directed the armed forces to improve readiness for possible battle.
In a recent artillery training, North Korea responded to the exercise by displaying its weaponry, which was seen as a direct warning to South Korea and the United States.
Experts stressed the serious threat North Korea's artillery poses to the stability of the region, and the exercise was intended as a warning to South Korea, according to reports from the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
North Korea's artillery attacks are regarded as equally dangerous as its nuclear and missile capabilities, according to analyses from groups like the RAND Corporation. It might result in thousands of casualties in minutes, and there is still a great deal of uncertainty.
Recent remarks by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, which signal a break from earlier attempts at peacemaking with South Korea, have further escalated tensions. His orders to demolish reunification monuments and his designation of South Korea as the "primary and unchanging enemy" highlight the escalating tension between the two Koreas.
Concerns regarding the stability of the Korean Peninsula and wider international security are raised as North Korea steps up its military preparations and the region braces for a possible escalation in hostilities.
