Communist North Korea’s Foreign Ministry vowed that his nation will “annihilate” the United States through military power by the end of the 21st century. “Should the U.S. choose to offend our Republic, we will annihilate them by using all our military power that we have gathered so far,” said the North Korean Foreign Ministry diplomats in a statement released celebrating the armistice, signed on July 27, 1953.

“The Korean War in the last century marked the beginning of the downfall of the U.S.,” the Foreign Ministry added. “Now, the 21st century would see the irrevocable termination of the U.S. The rulers of the U.S. are well advised to forget, on no account, the lessons of history.”

The statement was made during a meeting celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, signed between the North, the United Nations and communist China. South Korea to this day has not acknowledged the armistice.

This armistice permitted the creation of the UN-arranged demilitarized zone between North and South Korea and the exchange of prisoners of war. Since the signing of this armistice, U.S. troops have been stationed in South Korea to help prevent another war and to help Seoul defend itself in case of another North-led invasion.

During the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the armistice, North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un met with senior Chinese officials to reaffirm their close military ties.

Around a month before this recent threat from North Korea, the totalitarian communist nation held a rally marking the “day of struggle against U.S. imperialism,” during which government leaders also promised to “annihilate the enemy.”

The “day of struggle against U.S. imperialism” marks the 73rd anniversary of the start of the Korean War on June 25, 1950, when North Korean communist forces began their invasion of the democratic South.

Rallies were held in each province of the small nation while an extensive list of government leaders spoke about denouncing the U.S. and its allies as “imperialist beasts.” In one gathering at the May Day Stadium in the capital of Pyongyang, between 100,000 to 120,000 people attended, although their attendance was more than likely to be mandatory.