Seoul, July 26: North Korea today warned the United States it would suffer a "miserable defeat" if there was a new war between them, as the communist state showed no sign of easing its belligerent tone amid diplomacy to defuse the nuclear crisis.
On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the end of the Korean war, chief of the general staff of North Korean army, Kim Yong-Chun, said the North had built up strong military deterrence despite economic constraints.
Reporting to a national meeting of government, party and military leaders, Kim said the "arrogant and outrageous moves of the US imperialists" to "stifle" North Korea by force were being carried to extremes.

"He declared that the army and the people of the DPRK (North Korea) will promptly beat back any 'precision strike', 'surgical operation-style strike' and 'preemptive nuclear attack' with the powerful war deterrent force."
The army and North Korean people have built up their deterrent force through "all hardships, tightening their belts", the official Korean central news agency said.



"If the US belligerent group and its followers dare unleash a war in defiance of our warnings, they will not be able to avoid the merciless crushing blow... And they will suffer a miserable defeat dwarfing that they met in the past Korean war," he said.



North Korea celebrates the armistice as victory in "the fatherland liberation war".



South Korean officials have said stepped-up efforts to end North Korea's nuclear weapons drive could result in talks as early as next month.


Bureau Report