North Korea ready for 'quick, overwhelming action' against US, South Korea over military drills
USA TodayNov 26, 2022
The Facts
The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Kim Yo Jong, on Tuesday, stated that the US allegedly plans to shoot down or intercept North Korea’s Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) during a test launch would amount to a "declaration of war."
Neither the US nor its allies have ever shot down a North Korean ballistic missile, though the UN Security Council has banned it, and speculation emerged after Kim Yo Jong suggested the North could fire missiles over Japan.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
North Korea can’t threaten to turn the Pacific into a “firing range” and expect its neighbors, and the US, to stand idly by. It’s Pyongyang that’s doing the saber-rattling here, and the South Korea-US drills are just meant to give the North second thoughts about trying anything dangerous. Deterrence should be even stronger now that Japan and South Korea have buried the hatchet and strengthened their alliance.
Establishment-critical narrative
The US and its South Korean puppet state are the ones causing unrest in the region as flying a nuclear-capable bomber during drills is a dangerous provocation. After repeatedly having its objections against these exercises ignored, North Korea has no choice but to flex its muscles — especially if the UN fails to fulfill its request to call for the end of the US-South Korea drills.
