A Passage A Day

ลำดับตอนที่ #58 : North Korea threatens US and S Korea with nuclear strikes

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http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35741936

North Korea has threatened "indiscriminate" nuclear strikes on the US and South Korea as the two begin their largest ever military drills.

The exercises, Key Resolve and Foal Eagle, are an annual event and always generate tension.

The order for a "pre-emptive nuclear strike of justice" was made in a statement put out by Pyongyang.

Such rhetoric is not uncommon, and experts doubt the North's ability to put nuclear warheads on its missiles.

North Korea says it sees the annual US-South Korean war games as a rehearsal for invasion. Last year, it threatened to turn Washington into a "sea of fire".

"We will launch an all-out offensive to decisively counter the US and its followers' hysteric[al} nuclear war moves," a newsreader on the state-run North Korean KRT news channel said of the latest exercises.

Approximately 17,000 US forces are participating in the exercises, alongside around 300,000 South Korean troops - both significant increases on 2015's numbers.

Despite starting on the same day, Key Resolve is more computer simulation-driven and ends on 18 March, while Foal Eagle is more focussed on field exercises and runs until 30 April.

The South's defence ministry has warned Pyongyang against any "rash act that brings destruction upon itself".

"If North Korea ignores our warning and makes provocations, our military will firmly and mercilessly respond to it," said spokesman Moon Sang-gyun.

Japan's foreign minister also demanded that North Korea show restraint.

"North Korea's nuclear, and nuclear missile development is absolutely unacceptable. We will coordinate with the international community to demand that North Korea show restraint, and abide by the various resolutions including that of the six party talks," said Fumio Kishida.

Though unconfirmed, South Korea's Yonhap news agency, citing military sources, has reported that the exercises will include training for precision attacks on North Korean leadership and its nuclear and missile facilities.

These latest exercises come just days after the UN passed new sanctions against North Korea following its recent nuclear test and rocket launch.

On Saturday, the Philippines impounded a North Korean cargo vessel under the toughened measures. A presidential spokesman said the crew would be deported and the ship subject to a UN-mandated inspection.

The North responded to the sanctions by saying it was readying nuclear weapons for "pre-emptive" use, and by firing short-range missiles into the sea.

Seoul is expected to announce more sanctions of its own on Tuesday, which is likely to draw another angry response from Pyongyang.

The US and South Korea on Friday also began formal talks on the deployment of a US missile defence system to the peninsula, a move strongly opposed by North Korea, Russia and China.

Beijing says the Thaad anti-missile system compromises its security and would undermine its nuclear deterrent.

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What is the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (Thaad)?

§  Shoots down short and medium-range ballistic missiles in the terminal phase of their flight

§  Uses hit-to-kill technology - where kinetic energy destroys the incoming warhead

§  Has a range of 200km and can reach an altitude of 150km

§  US has previously deployed it in Guam and Hawaii as a measure against potential attacks from North Korea

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Strike (v.)

to ​refuse to ​continue ​working because of an ​argumentwith an ​employer about ​working ​conditions, ​pay ​levels, or ​job ​losses:

to ​cause a ​person or ​place to ​suffer ​severely from the ​effects of something very ​unpleasant that ​happens ​suddenly:

 to ​hit or ​attack someone or something ​forcefully or ​violently:

pre-emptive (adj.)

If something is pre-emptive, it is done before other ​peoplecan ​act, ​especially to ​prevent them from doing something ​else:

rhetoric (n.)

speech or writing ​intended to be ​effective and ​influence​ people:

 the ​study of the ​ways of using ​language​effectively

 ​clever ​language that ​sounds good but is not ​sincere or has no ​real ​meaning:

warheads (n.)

the ​front ​part of a ​bomb or ​missile that ​contains ​explosives:

decisively (adj.)

able to make ​decisions ​quickly and ​confidently, or ​showingthis ​quality

strongly ​affecting how a ​situation will ​progress or end:

counter (v.)

to ​react to something with an ​opposing ​opinion or ​action, or to ​defend yourself against something:

hysterics  (n.)

 ​uncontrolled ​behaviour or ​crying, usually ​caused by ​extreme​fear or ​sadness:

 ​uncontrolled ​laughter

Hysterical (adj.)

unable to ​control ​your ​feelings or ​behaviour because you are ​extremely ​frightened, ​angry, ​excited, etc.:

troops (n.)

 ​soldiers on duty in a ​large ​group:

rash (adj.)

careless or ​unwise, without ​thought for what might ​happenor ​result:

mercilessly (Adj.)

 having or ​showing no ​mercy:

restraint (n.)

 ​calm and ​controlled ​behaviour:

 something that ​limits the ​freedom of someone or something, or that ​prevents something from ​growing or ​increasing

.keep/place sb under restraint

to ​keep a ​violent ​person in a way that ​prevents them from ​moving ​freely

abide (v.)

If you can't abide someone or something, you ​dislike them very much:

abide by sth

 to ​accept or ​obey an ​agreement, ​decision, or ​rule

precision (n.)

the ​quality of being ​exact:

the ​qualities of being ​careful and ​accurate:

facilities (n.)

an ​ability to do something ​easily or well:

the ​buildings, ​equipment, and ​services ​provided for a ​particular ​purpose:

sanctions (n.)

an ​official ​order, such as the ​stopping of ​trade, that is taken against a ​country in ​order to make it ​obey​international ​law:

 a ​strong ​action taken in ​order to make ​people ​obey a ​lawor ​rule, or a ​punishment given when they do not ​obey

approval or ​permission, ​especially ​formal or ​legal:

(v.)

to ​formally give ​permission for something:

impounded (v.)

If the ​police impound something that ​belongs to you, they take it away because you have ​broken the ​law:

cargo (n.)

the ​goods ​carried by a ​ship, ​aircraft, or other ​large ​vehicle:

deport (v.)

to ​force someone to ​leave a ​country, ​especially someone who has no ​legal ​right to be there or who has ​broken the ​law:

 mandate (n.)

 the ​authority given to an ​elected ​group of ​people, such as a ​government, to ​perform an ​action or ​govern a ​country:

(V.)

to give ​official ​permission for something to ​happen

to ​order someone to do something:

inspection (n.)

the ​act of ​looking at something ​carefully, or an ​official ​visitto a ​building or ​organization to ​check that everything is ​correct and ​legal

an ​examination of the ​structure of a ​building by a ​specially ​trained ​person

deployment  (n.)

 the use of something or someone in an ​effective way:

 the ​movement of ​soldiers or ​equipment to a ​place where they can be used when they are ​needed:

peninsula (n.)

a ​long ​piece of ​land that ​sticks out from a ​larger ​area of ​landinto the ​sea or into a ​lake:

 compromises  (n.)

an ​agreement in an ​argument in which the ​people ​involved​ reduce ​their ​demands or ​change ​their ​opinion in ​order to ​agree:

ballistic (Adj.)

​connected with ​ballisticsgo ballistic 

to ​become ​extremely ​angry

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