North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered his military to “thoroughly annihilate” the United States and South Korea if provoked, prompting a joint statement from the two countries condemning his “provocative and destabilizing actions” and calling for the “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” The United Nations Security Council has also expressed “grave concern” over North Korea’s recent actions and has urged the country to “refrain from further provocations.” Kim has vowed to increase his leverage in future diplomacy by launching three military spy satellites, producing more nuclear materials and developing attack drones this year.
