North Korea has issued a stark warning, labeling the military cooperation between South Korea and the United States as the primary threat to regional security. Pyongyang asserted its right to prepare for any contingency in response to perceived threats from adversaries.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) released a commentary on Friday, titled “America’s Reckless Military Maneuvers: The Root of Regional Instability,” outlining this position.
The KCNA highlighted recent joint exercises in South Korea’s Pyeongtaek area, involving guided-missile destroyers, anti-submarine helicopters, and maritime patrol aircraft. The agency also noted U.S. plans to redeploy F-16 fighter jets from Gunsan and Japan’s Misawa base to Osan Air Base.
The commentary criticized the escalating U.S. military activities, claiming they pose a severe threat to strategic stability in the Korean Peninsula and surrounding regions. It noted that these provocative actions have intensified as the year progresses.
The KCNA also referred to the joint anti-submarine warfare exercise Silent Shark near Guam on November 18 and the U.S. Marines’ establishment of a military outpost in Yonaguni, Japan, near the Taiwan Strait on November 21. It argued that these developments show how U.S. and South Korean military activities are expanding beyond the Korean Peninsula.
The agency said that despite international concerns, the U.S. continues its military operations, which it argued clearly reveal the source of regional instability and the real instigator of unilateral changes to the status quo.
The commentary asserted that regional sovereign states have recognized the U.S. as the primary threat to peace, stability, and strategic balance in the region.
Its reference to sovereign states was likely aimed at China, indirectly suggesting that U.S. military operations around the Taiwan Strait are increasing tensions and concern in Beijing.
The KCNA reiterated North Korea’s stance on preparedness against potential threats, warning that Pyongyang is ready to address any security challenges within its targeting rights as deemed necessary.
The statement concluded by emphasizing North Korea’s commitment to protecting its national interests and contributing to regional peace and stability through the exercise of its essential rights. This suggests Pyongyang may justify future military displays as responses to U.S. actions it perceives as provocative.