North Korea Threatens to Attack US Ronald Reagan Ship: "Our First Strike"

Opposition to US Aircraft Carrier Entering Busan Port... "Nuclear War Outbreak Is a Reality"

The U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) entered Busan to demonstrate the "ROK-U.S. combined defense posture," prompting North Korea to react with threats of "direct attacks."

On the 13th, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) stated in a commentary, "Our most powerful and swift first strike will be directed not only at the 'extended deterrence' measures that the U.S. uses as 'hallucinogens' for its followers but also at the strongholds of evil nests established on the Korean Peninsula and its surroundings." This is interpreted as a threat that the Reagan, which arrived in Busan the previous day, as well as U.S. forces stationed in South Korea and Japan, could be attacked.

On the morning of the 12th, the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) is entering the Busan operational base. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The agency condemned, "The U.S. continuously deploying various nuclear strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula, where the possibility of constant military clashes exists and the ominous clouds of nuclear war loom heavily, is a blatant military provocation driving the situation toward an irreversible catastrophic outcome." It added, "The very act of sending a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier group into the waters around the Korean Peninsula marks the most serious stage where the U.S.'s nuclear attack plans and execution against North Korea have become systematized and visible, indicating that the outbreak of nuclear war is becoming a reality."

North Korea suggested it could use nuclear weapons in response to the U.S. carrier, stating, "Our nuclear use doctrine permits proceeding with necessary actions if a nuclear attack on the state is launched or deemed imminent." It further warned, "With massive forces confronting each other and nuclear weapons facing off on the Korean Peninsula, even the smallest spark will clearly lead to grave consequences," urging, "The U.S. must realize that its vast strategic assets have entered an extremely dangerous area."

The USS Ronald Reagan docked at the Busan operational base the previous day. The visit is seen as a demonstration of the U.S.'s commitment to extended deterrence and a show of strength for the ROK-U.S. combined defense posture. This is the first visit by a U.S. aircraft carrier to South Korea in seven months since the USS Nimitz in March, and the Reagan previously visited in September last year.

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