North Korea has criticized the recent visit of top U.S. defense officials to South Korea and has promised more “offensive” responses to what it sees as military threats from the United States and its allies, according to state media.
A spokesperson for the North’s defense ministry, in a statement carried by the KCNA news agency, blamed the United States for raising tensions in the region, specifically referring to U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s visit to Seoul this week.
The statement declared, “The armed forces of the DPRK will strongly control and manage all threats to its national security and interests with more offensive and overwhelming counteraction capabilities and through visible strategic deterrent military actions.”
DPRK are the initials of the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
During Austin’s visit, South Korea and the United States revised a bilateral security agreement aimed at deterring North Korea’s advancing nuclear and missile threats.
South Korea’s defense ministry stated that the revision was necessary because the existing strategy did not adequately address the rapid advancements in North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs.
North Korea has accused the United States and its allies of aggravating military tensions on the Korean peninsula, pointing to their large-scale military drills and the increased presence of U.S. strategic assets in the region.
Austin’s visit followed U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to South Korea last week. In their back-to-back visits, the top U.S. officials sought to provide reassurances on Washington’s commitment to the region, while voicing concerns over growing Russia-North Korea ties.
North Korea and Russia have denied any arms deals, although their leaders pledged closer military cooperation at their September summit.
On Tuesday, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin held talks with his Japanese counterpart, Yoko Kamikawa, in San Francisco and agreed to continue cooperation to address North Korea’s nuclear threats, the foreign ministry in Seoul said.
(Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Chris Reese and Cynthia Osterman)
