The Ministry of Defense of the DPRK accused the United States of creating a threat to the security situation in the world and in the region, called on Washington to abandon its hostile policy and stated that the armed forces of the DPRK are defensive and need guarantees of strategic parity in the region, the KCNA Central News Agency reports.
⠀
“Improving our self-defense capabilities is a necessary requirement to deter the growing various provocative attempts by enemies and ensure the security of the state,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
⠀
According to the ministry, the United States declares a “threat” from the DPRK, although they themselves pose a “serious threat” to the security situation in the world and in the region around the Korean peninsula, pursuing an “insane arms buildup” and the rapid modernization of the nuclear armed forces.
⠀
“The strategic armed forces of the DPRK are defensive forces to ensure the security of the state and guarantee strategic parity in the region,” the ministry says.
⠀
The Defense Ministry expressed “serious concern about the confrontational actions” of the United States, which, under the pretext of the “North Korean threat,” are trying to justify military claims to “superiority of force” in the region.
⠀
“The current US administration, under the guise of protecting its territory, is promoting the establishment of a missile defense system aimed at delivering a preemptive strike against other countries and the militarization of outer space,” the Defense Ministry said.
⠀
It is noted that recently an American nuclear submarine again entered a port in South Korea, and the military of the United States, South Korea and Japan discussed the issue of information exchange for the detection of ballistic missiles of the DPRK and conducting joint space military exercises. Also, the military departments of the United States and the Republic of Kazakhstan intend to hold large-scale military exercises “Freedom Shield” in March.
⠀
According to the DPRK Ministry of Defense, these facts serve as a sufficient reason to strengthen the defense capability in response to the increasing military threat.
⠀
“If the United States harbors real concern for the security of its territory, then the only way to mitigate it is to consistently abandon the military threat and hostile policy towards independent sovereign states,” the agency said.
⠀
It is emphasized that the continuous build-up of defense power, which makes it possible to effectively deter current and all future threats in the field of security, as well as ensuring strategic parity in the region, is a just right of a sovereign state.
⠀
“Our armed forces, based on powerful self-defense forces, will continue to faithfully fulfill their mission to consistently deter and control challenges and threats from hostile states, and reliably protect peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in the region,” the ministry concluded.