PYONGYANG – The defense chief of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has slammed the United States for recent military actions in the Korean Peninsula, saying they threaten the country's security and intentionally escalate political and military tensions in the region.
The DPRK will show more offensive action in response, No Kwang-chol, national defense minister of the DPRK, said in a statement published by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Saturday.
The statement lashed out at Washington for sending a carrier strike group led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George Washington to the peninsula, amid an ongoing joint Freedom Flag air drill with the Republic of Korea, saying the move further escalated the tensions.
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The US defense secretary and his ROK counterpart visited the area near the southern DPRK border, the statement said, adding that they also held an annual security meeting to "conspire the strengthening of their deterrence to the DPRK and the rapid promotion of the process of integrating the nuclear forces with the conventional forces".
Such a stance is "a stark revelation and an unveiled intentional expression of their hostile nature to stand against the DPRK to the end”, said the DPRK defense chief.
“We are ready to respond to everything. We will show more offensive action against the enemies' threat on the principle of ensuring security and defending peace by dint of powerful strength.”
