North Korea yesterday threatened to strengthen its "nuclear deterrent force" to cope with alleged aerial espionage by the US and its plans to deploy a destroyer in waters off the Korean Peninsula later this year.
The North's official KCNA news agency, citing unnamed military sources, accused the US of conducting over 220 spy flights against the communist state last month.
"Such aerial espionage frantically committed by the US imperialists with the whole area of South Korea as an operation theater clearly proves how urgent our strengthening of self-defensive nuclear deterrent force is," KCNA said.
North Korea regularly makes such accusations. The US military does not comment on the claims on spy flights, although it acknowledges monitoring North Korean military activity.
The allegation came a day after a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman condemned a US plan to deploy a destroyer, fitted with sophisticated surveillance equipment, in Japanese waters off the Korean Peninsula in September as part of a ballistic missile defense system.
The unidentified spokesman, quoted by KCNA, slammed the move as "the most outright hostile act" against the North.
North Korea "will increase its nuclear deterrent force in every way and take a decisive countermeasure for self-defense when necessary in order to avert a war and defend peace in the Korean Peninsula and the rest of Northeast Asia," he said.
The spokesman did not elaborate on what countermeasures it might take, but the communist state has previously threatened to boost its nuclear arsenal in "quality and quantity."
US officials believe that the North already has one or two nuclear bombs and can produce several more within months by extracting weapons-grade plutonium from its 8,000 spent nuclear fuel rods.
Washington also accuses Pyongyang of running a uranium-enrichment program to develop atomic weapons. The North denies having a uranium program in addition to the publicly known plutonium-based facilities.
North Korea often escalates harsh rhetoric as part of its brinkmanship tactics in attempts to extract concessions in crucial negotiations.
The US, the two Koreas, China, Japan and Russia are trying to convene before July a third round of talks aimed at persuading the North to abandon its nuclear weapons development. Two previous meetings have ended without much progress due to contention between North Korea and the US.
North Korea says it will allow inspections and dismantle its nuclear facilities only if the US provides economic aid and written guarantees that US forces will not invade.
It also insists that it will keep a nuclear program for power generation.
Washington demands that North Korea first dismantle all its nuclear facilities, saying it previously broke an international agreement not to develop nuclear weapons in return for oil and other economic aid.
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
REGIONAL STABILITY: Taipei thanked the Biden administration for authorizing its 16th sale of military goods and services to uphold Taiwan’s defense and safety The US Department of State has approved the sale of US$228 million of military goods and services to Taiwan, the US Department of Defense said on Monday. The state department “made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale” to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US for “return, repair and reshipment of spare parts and related equipment,” the defense department’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a news release. Taiwan had requested the purchase of items and services which include the “return, repair and reshipment of classified and unclassified spare parts for aircraft and related equipment; US Government
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758. Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from