The chief of the Information Office of the Ministry of National Defence of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on November 23 issued a press statement titled “It is constitutional duty of the DPRK to take measures for self-defence to defend its security environment,” which said:

The military tension in the region has recently become more acute as the US continuously flexes its military muscle against the DPRK on the Korean peninsula and in its vicinity.

The US, which deployed the nuclear carrier George Washington strike group in the waters around the Korean peninsula, staged Freedom Edge, the multi-domain joint military drills, with Japan and the ROK from November 13 to 15.

On November 18, Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarine Columbia arrived at the Pusan operation base to incite the atmosphere of nuclear confrontation, and on November 21, the strategic reconnaissance plane RC-135S flew above the East Sea of Korea, conducting undisguised air spying on the strategic depth of the DPRK.

The US military provocations, which have been committed in the Korean peninsula where huge armed forces of two belligerent sides are on high alert and the possibility of constant military conflict lingers, constitute the cause of plunging the regional situation into an irretrievable catastrophe.

We strongly warn the US and its followers hostile towards the DPRK to immediately discontinue the provocative and instability-causing hostile acts that can drive the military confrontation in the Korean peninsula and its vicinity into a real armed conflict.

The danger of the US military provocations against the DPRK is that it will never end in muscle-flexing for frightening others or security instability limited to the region of the Korean peninsula.

The present grave political and military situation in which the US military adventurism has gone beyond the red-line on a global scale foretells that the US military moves targeting the DPRK can lead to a real war situation anytime.

It is the constitutional duty of the armed forces of the DPRK to take measures for self-defence to protect the security environment of the state and maintain the strategic stability and balance of power in the region.

The KPA is closely following the military moves of the US and its allies, opening up the possibility of every option in full combat readiness. If it is judged necessary, it will immediately take action to contain danger in advance and achieve the military and strategic goal of the state.

KCNA