WASHINGTON: The Pentagon's top general said Friday the US military is ready for anything from North Korea in the face of Pyongyang's ominous promise of a "Christmas gift" if Washington does not act to ease tensions. "Korea is one of those places in the world where we've always maintained high levels of readiness," said General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The US alliance with Japan and South Korea is "rock-solid," he said. "I think it's prepared to defend the interests of the United States, Japan and South Korea at a moment's notice," he told reporters. Milley declined to say whether US and allied forces in the region had stepped up readiness in the face of the possibility that North Korea could test a new nuclear-capable missile in the near future.

"North Korea has indicated a variety of things. And I think you're aware of all those. So we are prepared for whatever," he said. Speaking next to Milley, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the US was ready "to fight tonight" if necessary, but stressed the need for diplomacy with North Korea. "I remain hopeful that we could get the process started again and remain on the diplomatic path," Esper said. Pyongyang has shown frustration at the lack of sanctions relief after three summits with President Donald Trump.

Earlier this month it promised a "Christmas gift" if the US does not come up with concessions by the end of the year after it placed a moratorium on long-range missile tests. US North Korea negotiator Stephen Biegun-just confirmed to the number two position in the State Department-visited Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing this week for discussions on the regional security situation. In Seoul, he called Pyongyang's comments "so hostile and negative and so unnecessary." He challenged North Korea to restart discussions. "It is time for us to do our jobs. Let's get this done. We are here and you know how to reach us."

Rights criticism

North Korea yesterday warned Washington would only aggravate tensions and "pay dearly" for criticizing Pyongyang over human rights, with nuclear negotiations between the two deadlocked. The international community has frequently condemned North Korea for political repression, and for decades of prioritizing its military and its nuclear weapons program over adequately providing for its people. Criticizing Pyongyang's human rights record would only aggravate the "already tense situation" on the Korean peninsula, "like pouring oil over burning fire", a North Korean foreign ministry spokesperson said, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The statement was in response to concern expressed by a US state department official over North Korea's human rights situation, KCNA said. The United States "will be made to pay dearly" for such remarks, the North Korean spokesperson was quoted by KCNA as saying. The United Nations General Assembly this week had also condemned Pyongyang's "long-standing and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross" violations of human rights.

Negotiations over North Korea's nuclear program have been deadlocked since a summit in Hanoi collapsed in February, and Pyongyang has said that if Washington fails to make it an acceptable offer, it will adopt an unspecified "new way". Earlier this month, it even promised a "Christmas gift" if the US does not come up with concessions by the end of the year.

It has carried out a series of static tests at its Sohae rocket facility this month, after a number of weapons launches in recent weeks, some of them described as ballistic missiles by Japan and others-which Pyongyang is banned from testing under UN sanctions. The Pentagon's top general said Friday the US military is ready for anything from North Korea. - AFP