North Korea unveils wreckage of ‘enemy plane’ ahead of 72nd armistice anniversary

Seoul: North Korea on Thursday unveiled the wreckage of what appears to be a US fighter jet that engaged in the 1950-53 Korean War, ahead of the country’s 72nd anniversary of the armistice of the conflict.

The Rodong Sinmun, the North’s most widely read newspaper, reported that the “wreckage of an enemy place” is drawing the attention of visitors after it was newly put on display at the captured weapons hall of the Victory Museum of the Fatherland Liberation War in Pyongyang.

Images and descriptions published by the newspaper suggest the wreckage is that of a US fighter jet that fought in the Korean War.

The Rodong Sinmun said it was retrieved from the Yellow Sea last year, and the images show uniformed students observing the badly damaged wreckage on display, reports Yonhap news agency.

The newspaper described the wreckage as an “enemy plane that was shot down by the wild firepower of the people’s armed forces after circling our sacred airspace since being deployed in the Korean War in July 1950.”

The news outlet also issued a warning to “the descendants of US invasionists,” urging them not to forget the lesson of the 1950s and not to “act rashly.”

“There is still ample space left in our captured weapons hall,” it said.

The report comes as North Korea is set to mark the 72nd Day of Victory on July 27, which commemorates the signing of the 1953 armistice that halted the three-year Korean War.

Ahead of the anniversary, North Korea typically stokes animosity against the US, which fought on the South Korean side during the war, while portraying the signing of the armistice as its own war victory.

–IANS