SeoulNorth Korea has criticized an agreement between the United States, South Korea and Japan to strengthen military cooperation – claiming it is part of a US plan to create a NATO-like military alliance in the region.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said this to a question asked by KCNA, the state news agency reported on Sunday.
“The reality clearly shows that the real objective of the US in spreading the rumor about a ‘threat from North Korea’ is to provide an excuse to achieve military supremacy over the Asia-Pacific region,” the spokesperson said.
“The prevailing situation more urgently requires building the country‘s defenses to actively deal with the rapidly deteriorating security environment,” the spokesperson added.
US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol met on the sidelines of a NATO summit last week and agreed that progress on nuclear programs and missile attacks from North Korea pose serious threats not only to the Korean peninsula, but also to East Asia and the world.
They said they would explore other means to bolster “extended deterrence” against North Korea.
North Korea is this year carrying out missile tests at an unprecedented pace, and some are believed to be preparing for another nuclear test.
“The deterrence capabilities of the Japan-US and US-Republic of Korea alliances need to be enhanced as part of the essential effort to strengthen the trilateral partnership between Japan, the US and the ROK,” said Kishida.
Ties between Japan and South Korea have long been strained by memories of the Japanese occupation of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945.
Relations have deteriorated for the worse in years under South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s previous rule, with disputes over territory and history and the two nations canceling an intelligence-sharing pact. Yoon, however, expressed a desire to mend ties, and Kishida also seemed to respond favorably.
