North Korea slams US remarks comparing South to ‘dagger’
The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) published a commentary by analyst Kim Myong Chol, who said remarks by a US General showed the US as “the chieftain of harassing peace and the world’s worst war empire”.
In this picture taken near the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarised zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, a bird flies near a North Korean flag fluttering in the wind at the propaganda village of Gijungdong in North Korea on Oct 4, 2022. (File photo: AFP/Anthony Wallace)
Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
SEOUL: North Korea on Wednesday (Jun 3) slammed remarks by the top American military official in South Korea comparing his host nation to “the dagger in the heart of Asia”, saying it reflected Washington’s strategy to contain China.
General Xavier Brunson made the comments in an interview as speculation builds that Washington may seek to expand the US Forces Korea (USFK) role in countering China’s regional influence.
About 28,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea to help guard against the nuclear-armed North.
The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) published a commentary by analyst Kim Myong Chol, who said Brunson’s remarks showed the US as “the chieftain of harassing peace and the world’s worst war empire”.
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
The comments reflected how Washington intended to use South Korea “as an important geopolitical instrument to realise its regional strategy aimed at containing China”, said Kim, who is based in Japan and considered an unofficial overseas spokesman for North Korea.
China has for decades been Pyongyang’s main trading partner and a key source of diplomatic and economic backing.
Seoul’s presidential office said at the weekend that it was aware of Brunson’s remarks and has been “maintaining communication at various levels regarding all relevant issues”.
Local media outlets including News1 and JTBC reported that Seoul has raised concerns with the United States.
USFK commander Brunson said in the interview, “When (the Chinese) look out from the east coast of China, what they see is there’s Korea, the dagger in the heart of Asia.”
Brunson also compared Japan to a “shield that’s sort of a backstop” against China’s regional ambitions, according to a transcript posted by the Strategic Studies Institute of the US Army War College.
Beijing’s embassy in Seoul last week condemned the remarks as having “truly crossed the line” and “rife with hostility and aggression toward China”, asking whether they were authorised by Washington.
Source: AFP/rk
Sign up for our newsletters
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
About The Author
