Joe Biden says he is “prepared” for a North Korean nuclear test and sends a message to Kim Jong Un


From Seoul, the American president wanted to make it known that Washington remained open to dialogue with North Korea.

US President Joe Biden said in Seoul on Sunday “prepareto a possible nuclear test by North Korea, but reaffirmed its openness to dialogue with a singular message to Kim Jong Un, shortly before leaving for Japan. “We are prepared for anything North Korea can do“, he assured, saying to himself”not worriedin the face of a possible nuclear test.

Asked by a journalist who asked him if he had a message for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the president replied with a laconic: “Hello. Period“. A way of making it known that Washington remains open to dialogue with North Korea, even in the absence of reciprocity. Talks with Pyongyang have stalled since a failed summit in 2019 between Mr Kim and then-US President Donald Trump.

counter a “nuclear attack»

Joe Biden left South Korea early Sunday afternoon for Japan, another great US ally in the region and the second leg of his first tour of Asia as president. In Seoul, he met his counterpart Yoon Suk-yeol, a pro-American conservative who came to power in early May. The two Heads of State spoke of an intensification of their joint military exercises in order to counter the “sword soundsby Kim Jong Un.

President Yoon also referred to the deployment by the United States in his country of “strategic means” to counter “a nuclear attack“. These means should includefighter planes and missiles, unlike in the past when we only thought of the nuclear umbrella for deterrence“, he specified.

Any deployment of such weapons, or any intensification of joint military exercises, risks angering Pyongyang, which considers these maneuvers to be dress rehearsals for an invasion.

SEE ALSO – North Korea: nuclear missile could be launched ‘at any time’



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