North Korea Criticizes Arrival of US Aircraft Carrier in South Korea

North Korea condemned the arrival of a US aircraft carrier in South Korea on Friday, describing it as a provocation that could lead to "catastrophic conditions that cannot be addressed." The official Korean Central News Agency stated that the visit of the aircraft carrier demonstrated that the US plan to launch a nuclear attack on North Korea has reached the "most dangerous stage," indicating that the likelihood of "nuclear war has reached an advanced stage." The agency added in a statement, "It is a brazen military provocation that drives the situation toward conditions that cannot be addressed." The US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan and its strike group arrived at the South Korean port of Busan on Thursday for a five-day visit following drills with allies in nearby waters as a show of force against North Korea.