Getty Kim Jong-Un in a photo released by the North Korean media in December 2016.
North Korean state media has issued a detailed statement on its plan to launch missiles in the direction of the U.S. territory Guam. In the statement, General Kim Rak Gyom also insults President Donald Trump, calling him a “guy bereft of reason.” The commander of the Strategic Force of the Korean People’s Army also called Trump’s “fire and fury” threat “a load of nonsense.”
In the statement, Kim said Trump’s comments on Tuesday “is extremely getting on the nerves of the infuriated Hwasong artillerymen of the KPA,” referring to the Korean People’s Army and the people who man the Hwasong-12, a mobile intermediate-range ballistic missile. The statement goes on to insult Trump.
“On Tuesday, the KPA Strategic Force through a statement of its spokesman fully warned the U.S. against its all-round sanctions on the DPRK and moves of maximizing military threats to it,” the statement reads. “But the U.S. president at a [golf] links let out a load of nonsense about ‘fire and fury,’ failing to grasp the on-going grave situation.”
“Sound dialogue is not possible with such a guy bereft of reason and only absolute force can work on him. This is the judgment made by personnel of the KPA Strategic Force,” the statement continues.
Kim says that Hwasong-12 rockets will be launched towards Guam and will land in the waters 30 to 40 kilometers away from the small pacific island after flying over Japan. However, planning of the operation is still incomplete.
“The KPA Strategic Force will finally complete the plan until mid August and report it to the commander-in-chief of the DPRK nuclear force and wait for his order,” the statement concludes. “We keep watching the speech and behavior of the U.S.”
Here is the complete statement:
Pyongyang, August 10 (KCNA) – General Kim Rak Gyom, commander of the Korean People’s Army, released the following statement on August 9:
As already clarified, the Strategic Force of the KPA is seriously examining the plan for an enveloping strike at Guam through simultaneous fire of four Hwasong-12 intermediate-range strategic ballistic rockets in order to interdict the enemy forces on the major military bases on Guam and to Signal a crucial warning to the US
On Tuesday, the KPA Strategic Force is a statement of its spokesman fully warned against the US on its all-round sanctions on the DPRK and moves to maximize military threats to it. But the US president at a gold [SIC] link again let out a load of nonsense about “fire and fury,” failing to grasp the on-going grave situation. This is extremely difficult to obtain.
It seems that he has not yet understood the statement.
Sound dialogue is not possible with such a bereft of reason and only absolute force can work on him. This is the judgment made by the KPA Strategic Force.
The military action of the KPA will take about an effective remedy for restraining the frantic moves of the US in the southern part of the peninsula and its vicinity.
The Hwasong artillerymen of the KPA Strategic Force are replete with a strong determination to fully demonstrate once again the invincible might of the force, which has been developed into a nuclear force of the Workers’ Party of Korea and the world’s strongest strike service, through the Planned enveloping strike targeting the US imperialist bases of aggression.
The Strategic Force is also considering considering the opening of the historic enveloping fire at Guam, a practical action targeting the US bases of aggression.
This unprecedented step is to give you a strong confidence in certain victory and courage to the Korean people and help them witness the wretched plight of the US imperialists.
The Hwasong-12 rockets to be launched by the KPA will cross the sky above Shimane, Hiroshima and Koichi Prefectures of Japan. They will fly 3 356.7 km for 1 065 seconds and hit the waters 30 to 40 km away from Guam.
The KPA Strategic Force will finally complete the plan until mid August and report it to the commander-in-chief of the DPRK nuclear force and wait for his order.
We keep closely watching the speech and behavior of the US.
The dispute between the U.S. and North Korea escalated after the U.N. unanimously approved more economic sanctions of North Korea as it continues its missile program. Then on August 8, The Washington Post reported that a confidential U.S. intelligence report concluded that the isolated Communist country has successfully made a miniaturized nuclear warhead that can fit inside one of its missiles.
“North Korea best not make anymore threats to the United States. They will be met be met by fire and fury, like the world has never seen,” Trump said on August 8. “He has been very threatening, beyond a normal statement. And as I said, they will be met by fire, fury and frankly power the likes of which this world has never seen before. Thank you.”
North Korea responded to the “fire and fury” remark by announcing a vague plan to go over “military options to form attack positions” around Guam.
Guam is the closest U.S. territory to North Korea and is near the Commonwealth of the Northern Marina Islands, another U.S. territory. It is home to over 160,000 people who are American citizens. The island is also home to Navy and Air Force bases.
Other members of the Trump Administration have also issued strongly-worded statements to North Korea. Secretary of Defense James Mattis said in a statement that North Korea’s actions “will continue to be grossly overmatched by ours and would lose any arms race or conflict it initiates.”
NEW: Sec. of Defense warns North Korea’s actions will “be grossly overmatched by ours and would lose any arms race or conflict it initiates”
