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| ▲ North Korea conducts ground jet tests of a new type of high-thrust solid-fuel engines for intermediate-range ballistic missiles, in this photo carried by the Korean Central News Agency on Nov. 15, 2023. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap) |
N Korea-defense chief meeting
N. Korea warns of 'visible, strategic' military actions over S. Korea-U.S. defense talks
SEOUL, Nov. 16 (Yonhap) -- North Korea threatened Thursday to take more "visible and strategic" military actions after South Korea and the United States updated their joint deterrence strategies against the North during their latest annual defense chief talks.
The North's defense ministry issued the statement, claiming that the "tailored deterrence strategy" adopted when the South Korean and U.S. defense chiefs held the annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in Seoul on Monday shows their ulterior goal is to invade the North.
North Korea's armed forces "strongly control and manage all threats to its national security and interests with more offensive and overwhelming counteraction capabilities and through visible strategic deterrent military actions," a ministry spokesperson said in the statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency.
North Korea also denounced South Korea, the United States and Japan for agreeing to launch a real-time missile warning data sharing system in December, and Washington's deployment of its key strategic assets to the peninsula.
"It is the noble mission of the Korean People's Army to thoroughly deter any outside aggression attempt, mount a resolute counterattack on any military provocation that encroaches upon the sovereignty and security of the state and maintain full war readiness to reliably defend the territorial integrity of the country," the spokesperson said.
North Korea appears to seek to use the latest Seoul-Washington defense talks as an excuse to launch major provocations in the coming weeks.
The North said Wednesday it has successfully conducted ground tests of newly developed solid-fuel engines for a new type of intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM). The secretive regime is also believed to be preparing to launch a military spy satellite following its previous two failed attempts in May and August.
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