According to state media KCNA, North Korea issued a statement through its defense minister Kang Sun Nam, stating that the presence of U.S. weapons, such as aircraft carriers, bombers, or missile submarines, in South Korea could trigger the use of nuclear weapons. The tensions have escalated as both sides exhibit military force in a standoff over North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
The defense minister’s statement also criticized the United States and South Korea for increasing tensions in the region and expressed concern about their nuclear consultative group’s first meeting. North Korea’s warning comes in response to the recent arrival of the Ohio-class U.S. nuclear-powered submarine in the southern city of Busan.
The situation is described as a “dangerous reality,” as tensions continue to rise on the Korean peninsula. Furthermore, there has been no official response from North Korea regarding the incident involving a U.S. soldier crossing the border into their territory.
Last year, North Korea solidified its status as a nuclear-armed state through a new and expansive nuclear law, declaring this status “irreversible.”
