"Vigilant Storm" - Photo: Hundustan News

The US has been holding a massive nuclear exercise on the Korean peninsula, "Vigilant Storm", which started on November 4 and followed on several days after the conclusion of the previous large-scale field mobile exercise, "Hoguk", which was staged across south Korea from October 17 to 28. Previously the US-South Korea joint military exercises were staged in April at full scale through the "combined command exercises" and were turned into a large-scale field mobile drill "Ulji Freedom Shield" in August and then into large-scale joint naval exercises with now the largest-ever joint air drill involving a nuclear carrier task force through September and October and into November.

"Vigilant Storm" has involved more than 140 fighters including F-35A stealth jets and F-15K and KF-16 fighters, as well as KC-330 tankers, while the US is deploying some 100 assets, including for the first time F-35B jets based in Japan, EA-18 electronic warfare aircraft and KC-135 tankers. Australia's Air Force joined the exercise with the deployment of a KC-30A tanker transport. It is a war drill aimed at aggression and mainly aimed at striking the strategic targets of the DPRK "in case of contingency in the Korean Peninsula".

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and its Korean People's Army cannot be expected to remain passive onlookers to these reckless nuclear exercises. Turning truth on its head, the US claimed that the DPRK's testing of missiles is the "cause of raised tensions" on the Korean Peninsula and referred the matter to the UN Security Council (UNSC). In Foreign Ministry statements [1,2], the DPRK pointed out that "the US ignored the demands of the DPRK and regional countries and the self-evident principle of maintaining a peaceful stable environment and instead responded by staging combined air drills for aggression under the pretext of deterring and coping with any provocation. And it decided to extend the training period, originally scheduled until November 4, over the DPRK's legitimate self-defensive countermeasure, and went the length of calling a UNSC meeting, another provocative action."

The DPRK Foreign Ministry justly demanded a halt to "Vigilant Storm" prior to its launch and during its progress. They point out that "owing to the large-scale war exercises staged by the US and its vassal forces almost every day this year, the Korean Peninsula remains the hotspot with the most serious military tensions in the world and the security circumstances in the region have become grimmer." The Foreign Ministry also points out, "All the facts clearly show that the US nuclear war scenario against the DPRK has entered the final stage" of nuclear threats against the DPRK. It emphasises, "The US is trying to shift the responsibility for the escalated tensions onto the DPRK after making the DPRK take a countermeasure." They point out that such schemes can no longer work to conceal the true colours of the US "as the chief culprit in destroying peace and security, and conclude: "No matter how the situation may develop and what kind of unimaginable situation may arise, the DPRK will never flinch from the just road for defending the dignity and sovereignty of the state and the security of the people. The US should not act rashly."

It is important to point out that the DPRK has committed no act of aggression against another country unlike the US, Britain and other powers that condemn the DPRK's existence and right to be. The Korean War, which engulfed the entire Korean Peninsula, was provoked by the US and the regime it installed in the south. Standing firm against the might of the US military empire - known for its use of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons worldwide - the DPRK is affirming not only its right to be, but the right of all nations and peoples to self-determination and peace. For this internationalist spirit, the DPRK is justly admired by all justice and peace-loving people in Britain and throughout the world.

Workers' Weekly condemns the refusal of the British government to oppose and call for an end to these ongoing and large scale military exercises against the DPRK. Also, Britain should refuse to submit to the US-inspired policy of sanctions and threats against the DPRK and its leadership.

The peace-loving people of Britain wish the DPRK and the Korean people every success in their striving to secure peace on the Korean Peninsula and to put an end to the more than 70 years of US-engineered division, tension and strife between north and south so that the Korean people can move forward as united, peaceful and prosperous peoples.

Notes
1. KCNA Statement of DPRK Foreign Ministry Spokesman, October 31 2022
http://www.kcna.kp/en/article/q/389b4b6d4d92a66d210125543c87c1d6016afc72a1199169a0e9defc1b96f3d1.kcmsf
2. KCNA Statement of DPRK Foreign Ministry Spokesman, November 4 2022
http://www.kcna.kp/en/article/q/a0a28e6f322e1851bdae3a89fbcbdf05.kcmsf

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