MOSCOW. April 13 (Interfax) - North Korea is aware of the United States' plans to carry out a preemptive strike against the country's nuclear facilities, and it is ready to retaliate in the event of a provocation, according to Jing Jong Heb, minister plenipotentiary at the Embassy of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in Moscow.
"Today the situation on the Korean peninsula has gone out of control because the U.S. and its South Korean puppets have begun activities, whose aim is to eliminate our peninsula, topple our leader and carry out a preventive strike against our country's missile and nuclear facilities," the diplomat said at a function held at the embassy on the occasion of the Day of the Sun (Kim Il-sung's Birthday) on Thursday.
"Our army and our people are watching closely hostile forces' tricks and should there be a slightest provocation on their part, we are prepared to strike back and crush the provocation," the diplomat said.
Pyongyang intends to strengthen the relations with Russia, the diplomat said
The Day of the Sun marks the birthday anniversary of the DPRK leader Kim Il-Sung, who would have turned 105 this year.