On Sunday, the USS Carl Vinson and its task force arrived in the South Korean port city of Busan for a scheduled visit. This recent deployment aims to demonstrate Washington’s unwavering support for South Korea amid North Korea’s escalating threats and hostilities.
The carrier arrived after North Korea conducted its fourth missile launch test of the year.
Kim Yo Jong’s Statement
Kim Yo Jong referred to the deployment as “confrontation hysteria of the US and its stooges.” She previously labeled South Korea’s live-fire drills as “suicidal hysteria.”
North Korea will “closely examine the possibility of escalating actions to threaten the enemy’s security at a strategic level to counteract the US’s strategic assets deployment on the Korean Peninsula, which has become a habitual and detrimental presence for the DPRK’s security,” she stated through state media. DPRK refers to North Korea’s official name.
“Since the new US administration took office, it has intensified political and military provocations against the DPRK, continuing the hostile policies of the previous administration,” Kim remarked, according to state media KCNA.
In his first term as US President, Donald Trump engaged in unprecedented summits with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, often highlighting their rapport.
This time, Trump has hinted at reaching out again, but experts suggest the North Korean leader, who is strengthening ties with Russia, might be less receptive.
“The current US policy towards the DPRK provides sufficient justification for the DPRK to indefinitely bolster its nuclear war deterrent,” Kim added.
North Korea continually blames the US and its military alliance with South Korea for the exponential increase in its nuclear capability.
South Korea’s Defense Ministry Responds
South Korea’s Defense Ministry responded to Kim’s statement by warning that they are prepared to counter any provocations from the North, using the very alliance that irritates North Korea.
A statement from the Seoul-based ministry dismissed Kim’s warning as “rhetoric” that would be used to justify North Korea’s nuclear development and future acts of aggression.
Observers believe her comments indicate that North Korea may soon test-launch powerful missiles capable of reaching US military bases in the region.
Edited by: Rana Taha
