North Korea vows to ‘wipe out’ US, says country will be finished this century

July 29 (UPI) — North Korea’s foreign minister vowed this week that the country would “wipe out” the United States, adding that the United States would be finished this century.

“If the United States chooses to insult our republic, we will annihilate them using all our military power that we have accumulated so far,” North Korean diplomats said in a statement on Thursday, the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice.

“The Korean War of the last century marked the beginning of the downfall of the United States. Now the 21st century would see the irrevocable end of the United States. The rulers of the United States would be well advised to forget, under no circumstances, the lessons of history.”

The conflict-ending armistice was concluded between North Korea, China – which had supported North Korea – and the United States, which had supported South Korea in the war. South Korea did not agree to the armistice.

The armistice allowed for the establishment of the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea and the repatriation of prisoners of war. US troops have since been staged in South Korea to help prevent another war and defend its ally in the event one begins.

North Korea has a long history of provoking conflict with its southern neighbor in the decades since the armistice, from the kidnapping and assassination of high-profile South Koreans to the hijacking of South Korean planes in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. The reclusive nation has also attacked US military aircraft and ships over the years.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, North Korea lost a major contributor to its economy. Now, with the war in Ukraine and rising tensions between East and West, North Korea has sought to strengthen its ties with China and Russia.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and top Chinese officials reaffirmed the close military ties between the two communist nations, the foreign ministry said Saturday.