Declassified documents about US plans to attack North Korea released

Recently declassified documents reveal that the US planned to attack North Korea in 1994.

US and South Korean troops conduct joint exercises. (Photo: Chung Sung-jun)

Newly declassified documents reveal that the administration of US President Bill Clinton planned to attack the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in 1994. The plan was made when the US was negotiating with North Korea on nuclear disarmament at the time.

“Of course, with the combined forces of South Korea and the United States, we can certainly win the war. But the war will involve casualties,” then-US Secretary of Defense William Perry told South Korean President Kim Dae-jung.

The US side proposed this plan when North Korea began to withdraw fuel from its nuclear reactor, which could be used to make nuclear bombs, in order to balance the military balance with the US and its allies in the region, which for many years have wanted to attack North Korea.

According to the newly released documents, in 1997, the US assessed that North Korea was suffering from a severe food shortage and that the embargo could lead to chaos and extreme danger. This led the US to adopt a softer approach to North Korea at that time in order to bring about something new.

Currently, North Korea has achieved a lot of success in its nuclear and missile programs, and its latest missile test took place on November 29. Pyongyang has repeatedly stated that it will not give up its nuclear and ballistic missile development programs, calling it a legitimate self-defense measure.

There are currently about 30,000 US troops stationed in South Korea. Recently, the US has continuously held military exercises in the region despite protests from North Korea, Russia and China.

According to VTCnews