SEOUL (Dispatches) - North Korea has claimed it is one of only a handful of countries in the world to field nuclear weapons and advanced missiles and the only one standing up to the United States by “shaking the world” with missile tests.
“In today’s world where many countries waste time dealing with the United States with submission and blind obedience, there’s only our country on this planet that can shake the world by firing a missile with the U.S. mainland in its range,” North Korea’s foreign ministry said”.
“There are more than 200 countries in the world, but only a few have hydrogen bombs, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and hypersonic missiles,” the ministry added.
Tensions have increased between the U.S. and North Korea since North Korea tested a record numbers of missiles in January, according to Reuters.
The statement from North Korea comes after the United Nations recently discovered the country has increased its missile capabilities.
Responding to the statement, a US State Department spokesperson told The Hill that Washington sees Pyongyang as “a threat to international peace and security and the global nonproliferation regime”, but insisted that the U.S. “harbors no hostile intent” towards the nation.
The spokesperson said Washington is committed to “limiting the reach” of North Korea’s “most dangerous weapons programs” and keeping U.S. military personnel and their allies safe.
North Korea has already conducted seven missile tests this year alone, many of which were fired towards the Sea of Japan. The country confirmed last week that it had test-fired a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile for the first time since 2017. The missile is believed to be capable of striking the U.S. territory of Guam.