North Korea criticises US Japan South Korea military cooperation and vows nuclear development
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has criticised the trilateral military cooperation among the United States, Japan, and South Korea, claiming it raises tensions in the region. Kim vowed to implement countermeasures, including the further development of nuclear forces.
During his address, Kim highlighted that U.S. deployments of nuclear strategic assets, military exercises, and cooperation with Japan and South Korea pose a military imbalance in the region, representing a serious challenge to the security environment. This information was reported by state media KCNA on Sunday.
Kim stated, "The DPRK does not want unnecessary tension in the regional situation but will take sustained countermeasures to ensure the regional military balance." He made these remarks while visiting the defence ministry on Saturday to commemorate the founding day of the Army.
The acronym DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, which is North Korea's official name.
U.S. President Donald Trump, after a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, expressed concerns about North Korea's nuclear programme. Trump indicated he would maintain relations with North Korea.
During the same visit, Kim reaffirmed, "the unshakable policy of more highly developing the nuclear forces," according to the KCNA report.
Additionally, Kim commented on the ongoing war in Ukraine, stating: "The army and people of the DPRK will invariably support and encourage the just cause of the Russian army and people to defend their sovereignty, security and territorial integrity in keeping with the spirit of the treaty on the comprehensive strategic partnership between the DPRK and Russia."
Recently, South Korea indicated suspicions that North Korea might be sending more troops to Russia, adding to approximately 11,000 soldiers that had already been dispatched for the three-year-long conflict.
North Korea's KCNA later issued a separate commentary, again criticising South Korea's military collaboration with the United States. They cautioned that aggressive actions would result in unwanted consequences. "Anyone could easily guess how we would take the fact that they carried out war exercises that were more intense than ever before at a time when diplomacy schedules were being cancelled due to political turmoil," KCNA concluded.
