North Korea slams redeployment of US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in East Sea

ANKARA (AA) – North Korea on Thursday condemned the redeployment of a US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in South Korean waters and called it "a serious threat to the stability of the situation on the Korean peninsula."

In a statement, the North Korean Foreign Ministry accused the US of escalating the military tensions on the Korean peninsula.

"The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea strongly condemns the US and some of its vassal forces for unwarrantedly bringing to the United Nations Security Council the just counteraction taken by the Korean People’s Army against South Korea-US joint drills escalating the military tensions on the Korean peninsula," said the ministry in its statement, published by state-run Korean Central News Agency.

"We are watching closely the United States which is posing a serious threat to the stability of the situation on the Korean peninsula and its vicinity by dispatching again the carrier strike group to the waters off the Korean peninsula," it added.

On Wednesday, the South Korean military said that the US will redeploy its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the South Korean waters after North Korea’s launch of a ballistic missile.

The USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, which left the peninsula after a joint naval drill by the US, South Korea, and Japan last week, will now return to the East Sea, Yonhap News Agency quoted the South Korean joint chiefs of staff as saying.

The development came after North Korea fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) that flew over Japan on Tuesday for the first time in five years.

On Thursday morning, North Korea again fired a suspected ballistic missile, according to the Japanese Prime Minister's Office.

The latest missile launch comes a day after the US Department of Defense said American forces had conducted separate military exercises with Japan and South Korea in response to the firing of a long-range ballistic missile by Pyongyang.

North Korea's escalation of tensions is thought to be in response to a joint military drill by South Korea, the US, and Japan in the East Sea.

Tensions on the peninsula rose in 2020 when North Korea attacked and blew up the inter-Korean liaison office along the border. Seoul has threatened a strong response if Pyongyang "further worsens the situation."

However, tensions soared further last year when both Seoul and Pyongyang ramped up military drills to show off their might.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid