Jo Chol Su, director of Press of the Institution for American Studies of the DPRK Foreign Ministry, issued the following statement on November 28:

Recently, some policy research institutions and media of the U.S. and other Western countries publicized the so called "merciless nuclear attack plan" of the DPRK and claimed that the DPRK is planning random and indiscriminate attacks on the U.S. and Asian countries drawing no distinction between military and civilian targets.

On the other hand, they are prompting the baseless speculation that the DPRK seeks a nuclear attack on south Korea during the Pyongchang Winter Olympic Games and that the DPRK might go for another "ultra high level provocation" by conducting a ballistic missile test launch on the occasion of Christmas.

They claim that these projections are based on their study and analysis of the reports by the DPRK's media, however these are nothing but slanders to "demonize" the DPRK by twisting the meaning of our tough stand and absurd paradox worked out by the laymen who lack elementary understanding of the purpose of the DPRK's nuclear deterrence.

It is none other than the U.S. that is hatching plots to launch preemptive nuclear strike on sovereign countries after adding them to the list of targets for its nuclear preemptive strike, and the American politicians are the very ones who call for the military option and preemptive strikes against sovereign states time and again without the slightest hesitation.

The U.S. deployed massive amount of its nuclear assets into the Korean peninsula and ceaselessly carries out joint military exercises under various names. Current situation evidently shows that it is only a matter of time that a nuclear war breaks out on the peninsula due to Trump's war mania and that the choice made by the DPRK was absolutely right.

The attempts to defame the dignified image of the DPRK by spreading baseless allegations against it are further increasing our vigilance as they are happening at the time when Trump designated the DPRK as a "state sponsor of terrorism" after vowing to "totally destroy" it and the moves of the Trump administration to stifle the DPRK are reaching the extremes.

To make it clear once again, the DPRK's nuclear force which targets none other than the U.S. is the reliable deterrent to prevent a nuclear war and firmly defend peace on the Korean peninsula by thoroughly eradicating the half-a-century long unilateral nuclear blackmail and threat from the U.S.

We take this opportunity to issue a warning to the pseudo-intellectuals who are hurling vicious abuse at the DPRK in pursuance of the moves of the Trump administration and some of the Western media that are producing false reports based on absurd and groundless speculations.

If you are truly interested in the settlement of the nuclear issue and peace and security, you should properly understand the root cause of the nuclear issue based on your own principles and contribute to international justice by being true to the principle of objectivity and unbiasedness, the very life and mission of the media.

KCNA