N Korean official-USFK commander

▲ U.S. Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, speaks during a dinner in Seoul, in this file photo from Sept. 17, 2026, to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Sept. 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Friday condemned a recent remark made by the top commander of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) that South Korea plays a decisive center for collective defense, noting Seoul will instead become a target of punishment.

The statement came from Kang Chol-su, section chief of North Korea's Institute of Enemy State Studies, in a commentary carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

In the statement, Kang said the U.S. is "openly revealing its gangster-like nature" to use South Korea as Washington's "key base for implementing its hegemonic strategy and as its mercenaries in the regional conflict."

"(U.S. Forces Korea Commander Xavier Brunson) talked about the redesigning of the security of the Korean peninsula, stressing the need for the ROK and the U.S. to jointly cope with the threat from outside the Korean peninsula," Kang said. The ROK stands for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.

"This is a clearer manifestation of the attempt to completely discard the deceptive veil of 'defense of the ROK,' which has so far been used as the justification for the existence of the U.S.-ROK alliance, and to tie the ROK to the aggressive 'collective defense' system for implementing the strategy for world hegemony," he said.

Kang added that South Korea is playing "a suicidal role as top-class war servant of the U.S. by willingly accepting to increase its defense cost."

"The ROK, which has emerged as a 'decisive center for collective defense,' pursuant to the U.S. strategic interests, will become a decisive target of collective punishment."

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