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Pyongyang Announces Rockets 'Target' U.S. Bases

March 26, 2013

North Korea says its strategic rocket and artillery units are now targeting South Korea and U.S. military bases in the Pacific Ocean and in the mainland United States.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the move was in response to what was described as threats by U.S. bombers. The government's statement was read on North Korean state-run television.

"From this moment, the Supreme Command of the Korean People's Army will be placing under class-A combat readiness all field artillery units, including long-range artillery units and strategic rocket units, that will target South Korea as well as all enemy objects at U.S. invasion bases on Hawaii and Guam," the news anchor said.

The United States and South Korea are conducting joint military exercises until the end of April.

China's Foreign Ministry has called on all sides to exercise restraint.

The March 26 KCNA statement comes days after the United States and South Korea signed an agreement calling for joint military action in response to even a small-scale attack by North Korea.

The threats came on the third anniversary of the sinking of the South Korean naval ship "Cheonan." A South Korean investigation concluded it was sunk by a North Korean torpedo, something Pyongyang has always denied.

Before Pyongyang's threat, South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Wee Yong-sub issued a warning at a news briefing in Seoul.

"If North Korea provokes again as they did in the past, our military will retaliate -- 1,000 times, or even 10,000 times -- to console the spirits of 46 heroes of the Cheonan who died in defense of our country," Wee said.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye spoke at a ceremony at a national cemetery in Daejeon to mark the anniversary of the Cheonan’s sinking. She called on Pyongyang to change course.

"North Korea should drop its nuclear weapons, missiles, provocations, and threats, and become a responsible member of the international society," Park said. "This is the only way the North can survive."

North Korea launched a satellite into orbit in December but is not believed to have a long-range missile that could hit the continental United States.

Last month, Pyongyang carried out its third nuclear test, prompting the UN Security Council to impose tighter sanctions.

Earlier in March, the North announced it was abandoning the 60-year old armistice that ended the Korean War.

Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/korea-rockets-military-target-bases/24939205.html

Copyright (c) 2013. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.