On November 8, North Korea criticized the U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises and the deployment of an American aircraft carrier in the Korean Peninsula, declaring it will respond with more aggressive actions against its adversaries’ threats.
North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang-chul released a statement through the Korean Central News Agency titled, Our military’s perception of the enemy and our resolve to respond will be expressed more clearly. He emphasized that it has no alternative. It fully comprehend the U.S.’s confrontational intentions and will not hesitate to respond accordingly.
Minister No stressed that any threat approaching our security zone will fall within its targeting range and will be dealt with as necessary. It stands ready to counter all eventualities.
The Defense Minister referenced the recent large-scale joint air exercise”Freedom Shield conducted by U.S. and South Korean forces from November 3 to 7, as well as the arrival of the USS George Washington in Busan. He assessed that these developments introduce new tension variables to the Korean Peninsula situation and signal a potential escalation.
He further asserted that the annual security conference, where U.S. and South Korean military leaders convene near the southern border to stoke war fervor and plot the rapid enhancement of deterrence against North Korea, including the integration of nuclear and conventional forces, unmasks their unfiltered hostility and blatant intent to confront the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to the bitter end.
On November 3, South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin held the annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM). Minister No detailed their visit to the Joint Security Area (JSA) at Panmunjom prior to the meeting, expressing strong disapproval. Reports indicate that the SCM joint statement addressed North Korea’s nuclear and missile capability advancements due to military cooperation with Russia, modernization of conventional forces, and denuclearization efforts.
Minister No remarked that this reflects the reality and daily state of affairs on the Korean Peninsula, and posed the question, in such an environment, what stance does the world expect to adopt, and what actions does it anticipate from them?
Meanwhile, North Korea launched an unidentified ballistic missile into the East Sea on November 7. As of the morning of November 8, North Korean state media had not reported on this missile launch.
