North Korea vows to respond to any action taken by the US and pledges to bolster its nuclear program to the maximum. This is the statement issued by Pyongyang's foreign minister in reaction to the growing build-up of US forces in the korean peninsula.
North Korea continues its defiant stand against US pressure
As the US-South Korean military drills commence, North Korea issues statement after statement of reprisals and preemptive attacks that will wipe out the entire US contingent in the Korean peninsula.
Officials in Pyongyang continue to stay antagonistic and defiant against the military superiority of US naval and ground forces present in South Korea.
Threats of violent nuclear destruction of American cities flood state-run television networks in North Korea as it tries to convince its citizens of the superiority of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)
However, North Koreans are not aware of the failed military tests that plagued Pyongyang's ballistic missile. North Korea is resolute in completely isolating its citizens from both outside contacts and from the workings of the government to have their unwavering support.
How many US troops are stationed in South Korea
At the moment, US troops stationed in South Korea is roughly 28,500 men. Included to this are four squadrons of F-16s and A-10s, which can respond quickly to immediate threats coming from the DPRK and even China.
Added recently is the naval flotilla centered on the USS Carl Vinson and the nuclear submarine, USS Michigan.
Aside from troops in South Korea, US forces are also stationed in Japan and numbers 50,000 strong. The US forces in the Korean peninsula acts like an early warning system that will rapidly react to immediate threats.
This American presence also supports the South Korean army, which numbers around 600,000.
What is the state of North Korea's nuclear program?
Since 2006, North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests. The fear is that Kim Jong-Un's regime is on the verge of testing a sixth nuclear bomb. At the moment, North Korean researchers are still developing the means of fitting a nuclear device in a missile warhead and once successful, will change the balance of power dramatically.
Trump and the Pentagon don't want North Korea to have nuclear ICBM capability. In an interview with reporters, Donald Trump said that he will be not happy if Pyongyang does conduct a sixth nuclear test, which could lead to a forced preemptive strike from the US and thus usher in a renewed Korean conflict.
