N. Korea renews vow to bolster nuclear arsenal

2024-10-30 06:19:11      点击：411

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends a meeting of the Central Committee of the country's ruling Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang, Jan. 20, 2022, in this photo provided by the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency the following day. Yonhap

North Korea pledged once more Saturday to bolster its nuclear arsenal, claiming this deterrence would ensure a balance of power in the region.

The North's foreign ministry also criticized the United States, stating it was leading to the collapse of international arms control systems.

"Nuclear deterrence ensures a balance of power in the region and a strong physical security to prevent the outbreak of a new war," the North's ministry said in a commentary.

Pyongyang claimed that the unilateral arms buildup of the U.S. and its allies was increasing the risk of armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula.

The North's statement came as South Korea and the U.S. announced they will carry out joint military exercises this month to strengthen their defensive posture.

The joint exercise, Freedom Shield, is scheduled to take place from March 13 to 23 without a break, marking the longest-ever version of their joint computer-simulation command post exercise.

It is to proceed concurrently with a new large-scale field training exercise, Warrior Shield, in line with the allies' push to reinforce training programs and enhance their "realism." (Yonhap)