U.S. Overseas Nuclear Deployments Spark North Korean Response

North Korea argued that strengthening its nuclear deterrence is an essential response to the expansion of the United States’ overseas nuclear weapon deployment.

The Korean Central News Agency of North Korea introduced an article by researcher Ri Ji-seong of the International Political Studies Association titled “Reckless Acts that Increase the Risk of Nuclear War” and made this claim on the 2nd.

The agency stated, “The fact that the U.S. is planning to redeploy nuclear weapons after 15 years of being withdrawn from the U.K. has been revealed in the press and is causing global controversy,” and expressed concern that “the U.S. is scheming to bring tactical nuclear weapons into the Asia-Pacific region as well.”

The agency mentioned that the B-2 stealth nuclear strategic bomber, which can carry and operate the U.S.’s latest tactical nuclear weapon B61-12, is stationed in Guam and that “there are whispers that it could be used in operations in the Korean Peninsula region.”

It continued, “Such movements are transforming the Asia-Pacific region, where nuclear-armed countries are densely populated, into the world’s largest hotspot, always containing the risk of nuclear war outbreak.”

The agency emphasized, “The efforts to strengthen the nuclear war deterrence of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) are proving to be an essential contribution to suppressing the provocative actions of the U.S. and its allied forces that are becoming blatant on a global scale, and maintaining the strategic balance and stability of the world.”

It also pointed out, “The international community should raise its awareness of the U.S.’s criminal acts of deploying nuclear weapons overseas, which are pushing the global village closer to the brink of nuclear war, and raise their voices in opposition.”

Earlier, the British daily The Times reported last month that the U.S. is pushing to deploy B61-12 at an air force base in the U.K.