North Korea vows ‘special actions’ to wipe out South Korea government

North Korea has announced it is planning to take “special actions” aimed at wiping out the government of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.

A statement from the military carried by state media Monday said the actions would “reduce its target to ashes,” last three to four minutes, and entail “unprecedented peculiar means and methods of our own style,” the Associated Press reports.

It gave no further details, other than saying that the special operation would begin “soon.”

North Korea has regularly threatened to attack South Korea’s ruling establishment, but its rhetoric has grown more bellicose and specific in recent days following a failed attempt to launch a rocket on April 13 to commemorate the centenary of the nation’s founding father Kim Il-sung.

Critics say the launch was a covert attempt to test out missile technology prohibited under United Nations resolutions.

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Analysts have warned that the isolated, insular Asian state’s new leadership under Kim Jong-un may carry out a military provocation to boost Kim’s authority at home and increase his negotiating leverage with the United States, according to The New York Times.

Monday’s statement directly attacked President Lee, the South Korean defence minister, and “rat-like elements” including broadcasters whom it accused of “destroying fair-minded public opinion.”

South Korea’s defence ministry did not react to the statement, but repeated that its military and its US allies were prepared to tackle any provocation from Pyongyang.

According to CNN, one of the main motivations behind the threats may have been Seoul’s announcement last week that it had deployed more missiles against the North, warning Pyongyang that the weapons had a range of 1000 kilometers and could strike any of North Korea’s missile or nuclear sites.

On Friday North Korea held a rally condemning Lee and calling for his death, the BBC reports. 

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