North Korea Claims about 800,000 Citizens Volunteer for Military to Fight US

North Korea said on Saturday that around 800,000 of its citizens have reportedly volunteered to either enlist or re-enlist in the nation’s military to confront the United States, as tensions between the two countries continue to escalate.

In response to the ongoing US-South Korea military drills, approximately 800,000 students and workers across North Korea reportedly expressed their desire to enlist or re-enlist in the military to counter the United States, according to a report.

This comes just a day after North Korea launched its Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Thursday, allegedly as a response to the military exercises.

The missile launch has been met with condemnation from the governments of Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo as it violates United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The ICBM launched by North Korea on Thursday was fired into the sea between the Korean peninsula and Japan. This occurred just hours before South Korea’s president flew to Tokyo for a summit aimed at discussing ways to counter the nuclear-armed North.

To counter the growing threats from North Korea, South Korean and American forces started 11 days of joint military drills on Monday, known as “Freedom Shield 23.” These drills are being held on a scale not seen since 2017.

Amid the joint military drills between South Korea and the United States, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has accused the two nations of escalating tensions. In Kim’s view, the drills are viewed as a provocation and a threat to North Korea’s security.