A report by North Korea’s official news agency claims the use of nuclear weapons against US “provocations” would be legitimate. Although no one believes Pyongyang would use the bomb, a violent reaction is feared.

Seoul (AsiaNews/Agencies) – North Korea said it would resort to its “powerful nuclear deterrence” against joint US-South Korean military exercise, scheduled to start tomorrow.

Citing its National Defence Commission (NDC), North Korea’s official news agency KCNA reported that the country was ready for a "retaliatory sacred war" against war games that were "nothing but outright provocations.”

“The army and people of the DPRK will start a retaliatory sacred war of their own style based on nuclear deterrent any time necessary in order to counter the US imperialists and the South Korean puppet forces," it added.

Even though no one in Seoul believes that Pyongyang might actually use nuclear weapons, the threat does appear to confirm fears articulated by US intelligence sources of possible violent actions by North Korea that are connected to the struggle for succession currently underway in the Communist nation.

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