According to reports, North Korea has accused the United States of violating its airspace by conducting surveillance flights. As per the North Korean government's statement, despite exercising restraint, they have expressed the possibility of shooting down such flights in the future.

Further intensifying tensions, North Korea's Ministry of National Defence spokesperson strongly condemned the plans of Washington to deploy a nuclear missile submarine near the Korean peninsula. According to the spokesperson, the situation was aggravated by the occurrence of "provocative" flights conducted by US spy aircraft earlier this month. Notably, one of these reconnaissance planes repeatedly violated North Korean airspace over the East Sea, as reported by the spokesperson.

The spokesperson said in a statement, released by the official Korean Central News Agency, "There is no guarantee that such a shocking accident as the downing of the US Air Force strategic reconnaissance plane will not happen in the East Sea of Korea."

In a stern statement, the spokesperson referenced previous incidents where North Korea had shot down US aircraft and issued a warning that Washington would face consequences for its "frantically staged" air espionage.

Labeling it as "the most overt nuclear blackmail," the statement vehemently criticized the United States intention to deploy strategic nuclear assets to the Korean peninsula, emphasizing that it posed a significant peril to both regional and global security.

"The present situation clearly proves that the situation of the Korean peninsula is coming closer to the threshold of nuclear conflict due to the U.S. provocative military action," it stated.

"Whether the extreme situation, desired by nobody, is created or not on the Korean peninsula depends on the future action of the US, and if any sudden situation happens ... the US will be held totally accountable for it," it added.

In a notable announcement made in April, Washington disclosed its plans to send a nuclear ballistic submarine to visit a port in South Korea, marking the first such visit in decades. Throughout this year, North Korea has carried out multiple launches in violation of sanctions, including test-firing its most potent intercontinental ballistic missiles. Additionally, in May, the country attempted to place a military spy satellite into orbit.

In a recent development, South Korea and the United States have bolstered their defense cooperation by conducting joint military exercises that involved the deployment of prominent US strategic assets and state-of-the-art stealth jets. This escalation in collaborative efforts underscores the commitment of both nations to enhance their collective defense capabilities.

After North Korea's unsuccessful spy satellite launch in May, a US B-52 strategic bomber joined South Korea in air military drills in June, showcasing a show of force.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stated it was time to show "the international community’s determination to deter North Korea’s nuclear weapons program is stronger than North Korea’s desire to develop nuclear weapons.”

Image source: Reuters