North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country had deployed “special assets” to counter the growing presence of US forces in South Korea.
He also warned that Pyongyang would develop “additional military measures” in response to what he called Washington’s creation of “dangerous scenarios”.
Kim has repeatedly responded angrily to joint exercises by the US, Japan and South Korea, branding them preparations for an invasion. The US and its allies in the region say the drills are necessary to maintain their joint defence and deterrence given Pyongyang’s unpredictability and the build-up of its UN-sanctioned nuclear arsenal.
Speaking at a weapons exhibition in Pyongyang on Saturday ahead of the 80th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, Mr Kim accused the United States and its allies of intensifying military activities in the region.
“In direct proportion to the build-up of US forces in Korea, our strategic interest in the region has also increased, and we have accordingly allocated special assets to key targets of interest,” he said, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The United States maintains about 28,500 troops in South Korea as part of a longstanding security alliance. Last month, Washington conducted a joint military exercise with Seoul and Tokyo.
“The US–ROK nuclear alliance is making rapid progress, and they are conducting various kinds of exercises to execute dangerous scenarios,” Mr Kim said, referring to South Korea by its formal name, the Republic of Korea. “The enemy … will have to worry about which direction their security environment is moving in,” he added, without elaborating on the nature of the “special assets.”
KCNA photos showed the North Korean leader walking past missiles and other weaponry displayed indoors, surrounded by senior generals.
Mr Kim said Pyongyang would “undoubtedly develop additional military measures” to respond to the growing presence of US forces while South Korean officials have said the North has continued to expand its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
The remarks come as Pyongyang prepares for a major parade on 10 October to mark the party’s founding, where analysts expect it may unveil new weapons systems such as the Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile.
South Korea’s military has reported signs of parade rehearsals involving vehicles, troops and heavy equipment in the capital.
North Korea has also been strengthening its ties with Russia and China in recent months. According to South Korean intelligence, Pyongyang has supplied artillery and troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Mr Kim recently attended a military parade in Beijing alongside Chinese president Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin to commemorate the end of the Second World War.
Since the collapse of denuclearisation talks with former US president Donald Trump in 2019, Pyongyang has declared itself an “irreversible” nuclear state and rejected any possibility of relinquishing its atomic weapons.
