Large Artillery Drill Held in North Korea

On Tuesday, April 24, North Korea conducted a "large-scale" artillery drill coinciding with the 85th anniversary of the establishment of its army. This comes as U.S. President Donald Trump is set to host an emergency meeting on the North Korea crisis with all members of the Senate on Wednesday. According to AFP on Tuesday (April 24), citing South Korea's official news agency (Yonhap), this drill has been described as the "largest exercise" in North Korea's history, with live ammunition used. South Korean officials reported that Pyongyang began a major artillery drill in the city of Wonsan on its eastern coast early Tuesday. It was expected that North Korea would also conduct its sixth nuclear test during this exercise. Yonhap also reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un closely observed the drill. This exercise took place while U.S., Japanese, and South Korean naval forces are conducting a joint exercise around the Korean Peninsula. Simultaneously, the United States announced that the USS Michigan nuclear submarine is currently docked in the port city of Busan, South Korea. Additionally, a carrier strike group led by the USS Carl Vinson is expected to arrive in the waters near the Korean Peninsula within days. North Korea has conducted a series of missile tests this month, prompting Trump and his allies to declare that all options are on the table in response to Pyongyang's actions. On Monday, Trump also called for new sanctions against North Korea during a meeting with representatives of UN Security Council member countries. Special nuclear envoys from Japan, the U.S., and South Korea announced in Tokyo that they would take serious action in response to North Korea's latest provocations. These three countries have called for a greater role from Russia and China in the Korean Peninsula disputes. Pyongyang has stated that it is seeking to develop a missile capable of targeting the U.S. mainland with a nuclear warhead. Tensions between the two countries have escalated following North Korea's recent missile test. North Korea claims it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against any aggression. Following the tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Trump will host an emergency meeting on the crisis with all members of the Senate on Wednesday. According to White House officials, recent threats from North Korea and how to respond to them will be among the key topics of this meeting. About two weeks ago, Trump ordered the deployment of the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group to waters near North Korea. Pyongyang has threatened that it is prepared to destroy this American aircraft carrier. In this context, Trump stated that the Security Council must be ready for new sanctions against North Korea. North Korea has threatened to sink the American aircraft carrier and has also threatened Australia with a nuclear attack. The Security Council has warned North Korea of the possibility of new sanctions.