North Korea Vice Marshal Ri Young: North Korea is armed with “powerful modern weapons” capable of defeating the US; UN Chief warns Pyobngyang from taking “ further provocative measures”; China pushes for strengthening its ties with North Korea
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    • According to reports, during a closed meeting recently held in Pyongyang on April 25, 2012 to make the 80th anniversary of the founding of the North Korean army, Vice Marshall Ri Yong, chief of the army’s general staff, stated that Pyongyang is armed with “powerful modern weapons” which was capable of defeating imperialist powers like the US at a ‘single blow.’ While calling the North as a nuclear and military power, Ri emphasized on the importance of strengthening its military capabilities further to deal with threats from the US as well as South Korea. 1

    In another development, according to reports, while reacting to North Korean military’s threat to take ‘special actions’’ that would reduce South Korean government to ashes within minutes, UN General Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who previously served as Foreign Minister of South Korea, warned the North against “further provocative measures.” Ban also urged Pyongyang to fully observe UN Security Council Resolution on North Korean nuclear and missile tests. 2 It is worth noting that last week, while alleging South Korean President Lee Myung-bak of insulting the birth centennial of Kim Il Sung, national founder of North Korea, Pyongyang renewed its age old promise to wage a ‘sacred war’ against Seoul.3

    In other developments, according to reports, Beijing has expressed its willingness to strengthen its ties with Pyongyang. Chinese President Hu Jintao, during his recent meeting with Kim Yong Il, North Korea’s Workers’ Party international relations chief, Hu sent his congratulations to newly appointed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as he assumed the title of Workers’ Party first secretary. According to Hu, strengthening of ties with Pyongyang was a key priority for Chinese communists. In response to Hu’s remark, the North Korean leader reportedly stated that “It is the steadfast stand of our party and government to invariably develop the traditional DPRK-China friendship provided and cultivated by the leaders of elder generations of the two countries.”4

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