North Korea threatens nuclear strike against U.S. (Creative Commons)

North Korea claims the U.S. is using military drills in South Korea in order to begin a nuclear war.

An unidentified North Korean foreign ministry spokesman told the state-run Korean Central News Agency, "Now that the U.S. is set to light a fuse for nuclear war, the revolutionary armed forces of the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] will exercise the right to a pre-emptive nuclear attack to destroy the strongholds of the aggressors and to defend the supreme interests of the country. The U.S. is massively deploying armed forces for aggression, including nuclear carrier task force and strategic bombers, enough to fight a nuclear war under the smokescreen of 'annual drills.'" South Korea responded to the North's statement saying they would fight "strong and sternly" against the North's military if they believe the "lives and safety of South Koreans" are in jeopardy. 

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North Korea has also terminated the armistice with Washington that ended the contentious relationship between the two nations following the Korean War, according to Yahoo News. 

Despite the country's threats, CNN is reporting that analysts believe North Korea is still years away from being able to carry out successful nuclear attacks aimed at a specific target. However Daniel Pinkston, North East Asia deputy project director with the International Crisis Group, told NBC News the comments out of North Korea are "a little bit more serious" than the country's usual threats. 

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The sanctions imposed by the U.N.'s Security Council are a direct response to the North's nuclear test last month, the third of its kind, and the Huffington Post says they are aimed at hindering the capital city of Pyongyang from being able to finance these types of expensive missile programs. The sanctions ban all nations from exporting expensive jewelry, yachts, luxury automobiles and racing cars to North Korea. The North's elite will be hurt most by the ban.

"The strength, breadth and severity of these sanctions will raise the cost to North Korea's nuclear program," said U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice. "Taken together, these sanctions will bite and bite hard." 

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Many still remain unsure of whether these sanctions will be enough to stop North Korea's nuclear trials. When the U.N. has considered sanctions in the past, the results have been an increased hostility in North Korean threats of war, according to The New York Times. 

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The United States and South Korea will continue their annual military drills through April, according to Reuters. North Korea has begun conducing their own military drills and are being watched closely by their neighboring nations. South Korea's defense ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said, "It hasn't been frequent that the North conducted military exercises at the state level." The North is currently conducting various drills on land, at sea and aerially. We are watching the North's activities and stepping up readiness under the assumption that these drills can lead to provocation at any time." 

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Rice said, "North Korea will achieve nothing by continued threats and provocations. These will only further isolate the country and its people and undermine international efforts to promote peace and stability in northeast Asia."

Read more of Neon Tommy's North Korea coverage here.

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