Seoul: North Korea has issued a stern warning of “more offensive actions” after a United States aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea, escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula.
According to North Korea’s state news agency KCNA, Defence Minister No Kwang Chol said the country would take stronger military steps in response to what it described as “provocative” joint activities by the United States and South Korea. His statement came after the arrival of the USS George Washington in the South Korean port city of Busan earlier this week.
The North Korean official condemned recent joint air drills and the annual US–South Korea Security Consultative Meeting held in Seoul, calling them direct threats to the country’s security.
He warned that all such actions would become “targets” for North Korea’s military response.
The South Korean navy said the carrier’s visit was planned for logistics and crew rest, but Pyongyang viewed it as a display of aggression. A day before the statement, North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast. The United States Indo-Pacific Command said the launch posed no immediate threat to its forces or allies but described it as destabilizing.
The warning follows new US sanctions on North Korean entities accused of cyber-related financial crimes. Analysts say the timing of the missile test and the harsh rhetoric suggest Pyongyang is reacting strongly to increased military coordination and pressure from Washington and Seoul.
North Korea has a long history of condemning joint US–South Korea drills, often describing them as rehearsals for invasion. The latest confrontation adds to growing concern about the risk of miscalculation in the region.
Observers expect North Korea could stage further missile tests or military demonstrations in the coming days. Meanwhile, the United States and South Korea maintain that their alliance activities are defensive and essential to regional security.
As tensions rise again, both countries face pressure from the international community to prevent the situation from escalating into a wider military standoff.