16-11-2023 (SEOUL) North Korea has criticized the recent visit of top U.S. defense officials to South Korea and has vowed to respond with more “offensive” measures against what it perceives as military threats from the United States and its allies, according to state media reports.
In a statement issued by the North Korean defense ministry and reported by the KCNA news agency, a spokesperson accused the United States of escalating 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 Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) will robustly control and manage all threats to its national security and interests, utilizing enhanced offensive and overwhelming counteraction capabilities, as well as visible strategic deterrent military actions.”
Austin’s visit to South Korea resulted in the revision of a bilateral security agreement between the two countries, aimed at deterring North Korea’s advancing nuclear and missile threats.
South Korea’s defense ministry stated that the revision was necessary due to the inadequate response of the existing strategy to the rapid advancements in North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs.
North Korea has consistently blamed the United States and its allies for exacerbating military tensions on the Korean peninsula, citing large-scale military exercises 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 the previous week. During their consecutive visits, the top U.S. officials aimed to reassure the region of Washington’s commitment, while expressing concerns about the growing ties between Russia and North Korea.
Both North Korea and Russia have denied any arms deals, but their leaders pledged closer military cooperation during their summit in September.
On Tuesday, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin held discussions with his Japanese counterpart, Yoko Kamikawa, in San Francisco. They agreed to continue collaborating to address the nuclear threats posed by North Korea, as confirmed by Seoul’s foreign ministry.
