North Korea has accused US spy planes of violating its airspace and issued a threat to shoot them down, intensifying tensions ahead of the NATO summit in Lithuania, where world leaders will convene.
The Defense Ministry spokesperson of North Korea stated that the US was engaging in “blatant nuclear blackmail” by planning to bring a nuclear-armed submarine to the Korean Peninsula. The spokesperson also alleged that the US was conducting “hostile espionage activities” by flying spy planes off North Korea’s east and west coasts. These claims were reported by the state’s Korean Central News Agency on Monday.
According to North Korea, drones and spy planes continuously flew along its coastlines for eight consecutive days, even violating its airspace. The spokesperson was quoted as saying, “There is no guarantee that a shocking accident, such as the downing of a US Air Force strategic reconnaissance plane, will not occur.” The statement emphasized that Pyongyang would take actions to prevent what it considered to be reckless acts by Washington.
In the past, Kim Jong Un’s regime has demonstrated its anger by launching ballistic missiles shortly after making threats. Just minutes after KCNA released a statement from a Defense Ministry spokesperson denouncing joint US-South Korean military exercises and issuing threats of retaliation, North Korea launched two short-range nuclear-capable rockets.
These recent threats raise concerns about North Korea as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attends the NATO Summit. President Yoon expressed his intention to seek assistance from NATO leaders on deterring North Korea from further advancing its nuclear ambitions. Although South Korea is not a NATO member, President Yoon and other leaders will participate in discussions as the bloc and its partners focus on supporting Ukraine.
The US has been conducting aerial reconnaissance flights near North Korea for many years and maintains a network of spy satellites monitoring major North Korean facilities. The Defense Ministry of South Korea and US Forces Korea did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
During a summit in April, President Yoon and President Joe Biden agreed to deploy additional US nuclear assets to the region. President Biden warned Kim that a nuclear strike would spell the end of his regime.
As a display of deterrence against military strikes from North Korea, the US sent a nuclear-powered, guided-missile submarine to South Korea in June, marking the first time in six years. According to Yonhap News Agency, another submarine will be dispatched soon.
Over the past 18 months, North Korea has launched more than 90 ballistic missiles as part of its efforts to develop new weapons capable of delivering a nuclear attack on the US mainland, as well as on South Korea and Japan, key American allies in the region.
{Matzav.com}
