North Korea Reacts Sensitively to US Strategic Asset Deployment as "Reckless Bluff"

Monitoring Trends in US Strategic Asset Disclosure Including Nuclear Submarines
"Blatant Preemptive Strike" on Japan's Possession of Counterattack Capability

On November 2nd, the US nuclear-powered submarine USS Key West (SSN722) docked at the Busan Naval Operations Command base. Although it is customary for the US side not to disclose submarine forces, whose strength relies heavily on stealth, the announcement of the Key West's arrival in Busan is interpreted as a warning to North Korea, which is escalating its level of military provocations.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] North Korea has condemned the movement of the United States' nuclear-related strategic assets as "reckless bluffing." North Korea is showing a sensitive reaction as the U.S. has recently publicly deployed strategic assets, including nuclear-powered submarines, to the Korean Peninsula and surrounding areas.

North Korea's external propaganda outlet Meori criticized in an article titled "The Intent Behind the Strategic Asset Display Game" on the 7th, stating, "Recently, the U.S. has been repeatedly revealing the movements of its strategic assets and displaying unprecedented bluffing."

The outlet indicated that it is closely monitoring recent U.S. strategic asset deployments and military trends.

The article mentioned, "The arrival of the USS Key West, a Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered submarine of the U.S. 7th Fleet, at Busan Port; the public operation of the USS Michigan, a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine, near the waters close to Okinawa, Japan; joint exercises conducted by two B-1B strategic bombers over the West Sea of Korea with the puppet forces; the public operational flight training of eight B-2 stealth strategic bombers from the U.S. mainland; and the permanent deployment and training disclosure of the F-22, the U.S.'s 5th generation stealth fighter-bomber, at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan."

The outlet argued, "It is common sense for any country to keep the movements of its strategic forces strictly secret," adding, "(The U.S.'s public display of strategic asset movements) is a reckless bluff born out of fear in front of the absolute power and military-technical superiority of our Republic's armed forces, attempting to suppress us and save face."

Earlier, through the 54th Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) between South Korea and the U.S., the two countries set a policy to strengthen the deployment of U.S. strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula to be equivalent to 'permanent deployment.'

When North Korea conducted a test launch of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Hwasong-17 on the 18th of last month, two B-1B strategic bombers were dispatched to the Korean Peninsula within a day and conducted joint air exercises with the South Korean Air Force.

Two B-1B strategic bombers, considered U.S. strategic assets feared by North Korea, are flying over the Korean Peninsula along with four of our Air Force F-35As and four U.S. Air Force F-16s.
[Photo by Joint Chiefs of Staff]

Alongside this, the outlet expressed dissatisfaction with Japan in an article titled "Japan's Talk of Counterattack Capability is Actually a Preemptive Strike Capability." This was in response to Japan's recent announcement of plans to revise three major security documents, including the National Security Strategy, by the end of the year, which includes the possession of counterattack capabilities.

The outlet stated, "The report was written under the pretext of labeling our Republic's self-defensive measures as 'threats' and securing 'counterattack capabilities' in response," adding, "Japan's talk of 'counterattack capability' is, in fact, a preemptive strike capability and a direct expression of the increasingly blatant revival of Japanese militarism."

Regarding the possibility of Japan introducing U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missiles, the outlet also claimed, "Anyone can see that this is not defensive but offensive and aggressive."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.