Tensions on the Korean peninsula have escalated as North Korea accused the United States of violating its airspace through surveillance flights.
In a statement on Monday, July 10, the North Korean Ministry of National Defense warned that they could shoot down U.S. aircraft in response to such provocative actions.
The statement, published by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), claimed that the U.S. was conducting illegal surveillance flights and deploying drones over North Korean airspace. Additionally, the statement accused Washington of further escalating tensions by positioning a nuclear submarine near the peninsula.
The KCNA denounced the alleged American introduction of strategic nuclear assets to the region as "the most undisguised nuclear blackmail" against North Korea and neighboring countries. KCNA warned that such actions posed a grave threat to peace.
A National Defense Ministry spokesperson added that these alleged actions by the U.S. are pushing the Korean peninsula ever closer to a nuclear conflict.
Deputy Propaganda Director Kim Yo-Jong, the influential sister of the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, echoed the sentiments in her own statement warning of decisive responses if America's military dared to enter North Korea's economic zone again.
In response, the Department of Defense dismissed North Korea's allegations of airspace violations, emphasizing that the U.S. military adheres to international law. Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh addressed reporters, stating, "So those accusations are just accusations." (Related: Leaked Pentagon documents show how US intel networks spy on its own allies.)
The Department of State also urged North Korea to refrain from escalating actions and reiterated its call for serious and sustained diplomacy. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller emphasized that the U.S. remained open to dialogue with North Korea without preconditions, but Pyongyang had refused to engage in meaningful discussions.
South Korea: US only conducts routine surveillance flights around peninsula
South Korea's military similarly denied North Korea's claims of airspace violations, asserting that U.S. air surveillance assets only conduct routine surveillance flights around the peninsula.
This year, American and South Korean forces have conducted joint air and navy drills involving an aircraft carrier and heavy bombers. In a show of force following North Korea's failed launch of a spy satellite in May, an American B-52 strategic bomber participated in South Korea's air military drills in June. (Related: Things go south fast: North Korea’s first-ever spy satellite crashes into sea shortly after launch.)
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol emphasized the need to demonstrate to the international community that their determination to deter North Korea's nuclear weapons program is stronger than North Korea's desire to develop nuclear weapons.
Yoon is expected to seek greater cooperation from North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members regarding North Korea's nuclear and missile threats at an upcoming NATO summit in Lithuania.
"Now is the time to clearly demonstrate that the international community’s determination to deter North Korea’s nuclear weapons program is stronger than North Korea’s desire to develop nuclear weapons," said Yoon.
Visit WWIII.news for more stories about a potential war brewing in the Korean Peninsula.
Listen to Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, as he warns about North Korea's capability to launch a nuclear strike against any area of the United States.
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