Following the bilateral military drills, the U.S. military command in South Korea issued a statement urging North Korea to cool down. The statement observed that North Korea “will achieve nothing by threats or provocations, which will only further isolate North Korea and undermine international efforts to ensure peace and stability in Northeast Asia.”
Even Pope Francis wished for peace in Korea during Easter, and in his speech on Easter Sunday, he said, “Peace in Asia, above all on the Korean peninsula: may disagreements be overcome and a renewed spirit of reconciliation grows…”
On Thursday, the United States also flew two radar-evading B-2 Spirit bombers over the sky of South Korea. Following this, on Friday, North Korea put all missile units on standby to attack U.S. military bases.
In South Korea, orders have gone out to local military units to respond to any initial provocation or combat situation without waiting for orders from Seoul. This was in response to sever criticism over weak reactions by South Korea in the case of shelling of a South Korean island by the North in 2010.
Seoul has also issued threats to take out North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and also destroy the statues of former rulers of the Kim dynasty.
North Korea has already canceled its armistice with the United States and severed all hotlines with the United Nations, South Korea and U.S. Forces.
