North Korea says U.S. drills have pushed situation to ‘extreme red-line’ -KCNA

SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea’s foreign ministry said on Thursday that military drills by the United States and its allies could push the situation to an “extreme red line” and turn the Korean peninsula into a “huge arsenal of war and military bases”. said there is. A more important war zone. ”

A statement carried by state news agency KCNA said North Korea was not interested in dialogue as long as Washington pursued a hostile policy.

“The military and political situation on the Korean peninsula and the region has reached an extreme red line due to reckless military confrontation and hostilities by the United States and its dependent forces,” said a foreign ministry spokesman who asked not to be named. said in a statement.

The statement cited US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s visit to Seoul this week. On Tuesday, Austin and his South Korean side expanded military exercises and deployed more “strategic assets” such as aircraft carriers and long-range bombers to counter North Korea’s weapons development and prevent war. swore to

“This is a vivid representation of a dangerous scenario for the United States that would result in turning the Korean Peninsula into a huge war arsenal and a more significant war zone,” a North Korean statement said.

North Korea will respond to any U.S. military action and has a strong counter-strategy, including “the most overwhelming nuclear force” if necessary, the statement added.

More than 28,500 American troops were based in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War, which ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty.

Last year, North Korea conducted a record number of ballistic missile tests, which are prohibited by UN Security Council resolutions. It was also observed that a closed nuclear weapons test site was being reopened, raising expectations for a nuclear test for the first time since 2017.

In New York, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday, urging the UN to continue to pay attention to North Korea’s recent provocations and efforts to impose sanctions on its reclusive regime.

Guterres reaffirmed his support for building a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, saying another North Korean nuclear test would be a devastating blow to regional and international security, according to Park’s office. confirmed.

President Park is scheduled to visit the United States for four days, including a meeting with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in Washington on Friday.

On Wednesday, the United States and South Korea conducted joint aviation exercises with American B-1B heavy bombers and F-22 stealth fighters, as well as the two countries’ F-35 jets, according to South Korea’s defense ministry.

“This combined airborne exercise demonstrates the United States’ willingness and ability to provide strong and credible extended deterrence against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats,” the Defense Department said in a statement. .

Reporting by Josh Smith. Additional reporting by Soo-hyang Choi.Editing by Jonathan Ortiz, Bill Barclot, Jerry Doyle

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