North Korea Threatens to 'Annihilate' US, South Korea

Kim Jong Un announces plans for increased military capabilities amid escalating tensions

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has threatened to 'thoroughly annihilate' the United States and South Korea if provoked, according to state media reports.
This escalation in rhetoric comes in response to an expansion of U.S.-South Korean military drills, and experts predict Kim will continue to escalate his rhetoric and weapons tests.
Kim has announced plans to launch three more military spy satellites, produce more nuclear materials, and develop attack drones this year, in an attempt to increase his leverage in future diplomacy with the U.S.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has responded by stating he will strengthen his military's preemptive strike, missile defense, and retaliatory capabilities in response to the North Korean nuclear threat.
Experts predict small-scale military clashes between North and South Korea could occur this year along their heavily armed border, and North Korea is also expected to test-launch intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the mainland U.S. and other major new weapons.