DPRK to Respond With ‘All-Out War’ to Possible US Attack – Vice Marshal

North Korean Vice Marshal Choe Ryong-hae promised on Saturday to wage an "all-out war" if the United States dares to attack the country.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Pyongyang is ready to respond in kind to any possible military aggression on the part of the United States and does not exclude nuclear weapon use, North Korean Vice Marshal Choe Ryong-hae has announced.

"We will respond with an all-out war to (the U.S. attempt) for a full-scale war and nuclear attacks with nuclear strikes," Choe said in a speech quoted by the South Korean Yonhap news agency on Saturday.

US aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, surrounded by a fleet of US warships, was sent toward the Korean Peninsula in advance of this weekend’s festivities in Pyongyang.

Friday media reports pointed to satellite observations suggesting that North Korea could be preparing for yet another nuclear test in the coming days. US media claimed that President Donald Trump may order a strike against North Korea in case Pyongyang decides to carry out another nuclear weapon test.

North Korea’s vice foreign minister said the country’s rumored next nuclear test would take place any time the leadership decides. The minister said there was a “vicious cycle” happening on the Korean Peninsula, and that Pyongyang wouldn’t countenance a preemptive strike from Washington.

Earlier on Thursday, Trump told reporters at the White House that the North Korean "problem" "will be taken care of."

In response, the general staff of the North Korean armed forces threatened to launch a strike against US military bases in Japan and South Korea, as well as the presidential residence in Seoul in case of US aggression.