North Korea threatens pre-emptive strike, ridicules THAAD decision

SEOUL, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- North Korea warned the United States and South Korea on Wednesday that even "minor signs of aggression" against Pyongyang would be met with the wholesale destruction of Seoul and the presidential Blue House.

The editorial in the Workers' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun stated the "privilege" of a pre-emptive strike is not solely for the United States and "South Korean puppets," a possible reference to opinions among U.S. and South Korean experts and officials on the need to target key North Korean facilities, should Kim Jong Un strike first.

"It has been too long a time since our revolutionary armed forces switched to a principle of pre-emptive strike in the conduct of war, in response to the aggressive war provocations of our enemies," Pyongyang stated, adding a "ruthless pre-emptive strike is to be applied even in the face of minor signs of aggression."

In the same article, North Korea ridiculed the South Korean decision to deploy a U.S. missile defense system, also known as THAAD, calling the goal of deterrence a "foolish delusion."

U.S. defense secretary Ash Carter has described THAAD as a key part of the U.S. policy of extended deterrence to defend against North Korean ballistic missiles in a recent article in Foreign Affairs.

In the article, Carter also said the security networks involving the United States, South Korea and Japan ensure stability in the region when coping with security challenges like North Korea.

The Pentagon chief said the "most advanced capabilities" continue to be deployed in the Asia-Pacific, including "F-22 and F-35 stealth fighter jets, P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, V-22 Ospreys, B-2 bombers, and our newest surface warfare ships."

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter stands with Yun Byung-se, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, Secretary of State John Kerry, and Han Min-koo, Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Korea before a State Department hosted U.S. and Republic of Korea meeting at the State Department in Washington, D.C. on October 19, 2016. Photo by Amber I. Smith/U.S. Army/UPI