North Korea condemned what it described as the United States' efforts to bring a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine into waters near the Korean Peninsula, stating that "this leads to a situation making nuclear conflict closer to reality." North Korea accused the U.S. of violating its airspace using reconnaissance planes and warned that while it exercises restraint, these aircraft could be shot down.
A spokesperson from the National Defense Ministry, whose name was not mentioned in a statement relayed by the Korean Central News Agency, stated that U.S. provocative military actions create a situation that brings nuclear conflict closer to reality on the Korean Peninsula. The report also noted the use of U.S. reconnaissance and unmanned aerial vehicles, adding that Washington escalates tensions by sending a nuclear submarine to waters near the peninsula.
The spokesperson indicated, "There is no guarantee that a horrific incident, such as the downing of a U.S. Air Force strategic reconnaissance aircraft, will not occur in waters east of the country." The statement cited past incidents of North Korea intercepting or shooting down U.S. aircraft along the border with South Korea and off the coast. Pyongyang has long complained about U.S. aerial surveillance flights near the peninsula.
The South Korean military asserted that North Korea's claim of airspace violation is incorrect, stating that U.S. air surveillance assets conduct routine reconnaissance flights around the peninsula and that allies work closely together to monitor North Korea. The U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) dismissed Pyongyang's accusations of airspace violations, stating that the U.S. military adheres to international law. Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh remarked, "These accusations are merely accusations."
In response to inquiries about North Korea's statements, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller urged North Korea to "refrain from escalatory actions" and reiterated the call for "serious and sustained diplomacy." Miller noted that Washington is open to dialogue with North Korea without preconditions, but Pyongyang has refused to engage seriously.
The Korean Central News Agency reported that the steps taken by the United States to introduce strategic nuclear assets into the Korean Peninsula constitute "blatant nuclear blackmail" against North Korea and regional countries, posing a serious threat to peace. It added, "It depends on the actions of the United States in the future whether a surprising situation will arise... The United States will bear full responsibility."
Later that day, Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, stated that the country would respond decisively if the U.S. military entered North Korea's economic zone again, according to the Korean Central News Agency. The statement condemned what it described as a U.S. move to deploy a strategic nuclear submarine carrying nuclear warheads to the Korean Peninsula for the first time since 1981.
