North Koreaโ Warns of ‘Offensive Action’ Following US-South Korea Military Displays
Seoul,โค South Korea – November โ3, 2025 – North Korea’s defense minister hasโฃ accused the United States andโ South Korea of plotting โคto integrate their nuclear and conventionalโค weapons forces, threatening a response as US military assets arrive in the region and joint drills escalate. The statement โcomes after a โvisit to the Demilitarized โขZone (DMZ) by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his South Korean counterpart.
According to the Korean โCentral News Agency (KCNA), the North โคKorean defense minister stated, “We have correctly understood the hostility of the US to stand in confrontation withโข the DPRK to the last and will never avoid the โresponseโค to โคit,” using the initials for โขthe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
The comments were made in response to the โคannual South Korea-US Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) and the arrival of โthe USS George Washington โคaircraft carrier and the Fifth Carrier Strike Group at a port in Busan. These developments coincide with large-scale joint military exercises,knownโข as Freedom Flag,between โฃUS and South Korean forces.
During the SCM talks this week, Hegseth shared photos on social โขmedia of his visit โขto the DMZ, stating โthat deterring North Korea woudl remain the core focus of theโฃ Washington-Seoul alliance. He also indicated a willingness to explore flexibility for US troops stationed in South Korea to address broader regional threats.
“I visited the DMZ with my ROK counterpart,โค Minister Ahn, to meetโ the brave troopsโ of the U.S., ROK, and UN Command that maintain the military armistice on the Peninsula,” Hegsethโ tweeted. “Our forces remain ready to support President Trump’s efforts โto bring lasting peace through strength.”
Pyongyang condemned the DMZ visit as “a stark revelation and an unveiled intentional expression of their opposed nature to stand against the DPRK.”
The โคescalating tensions follow a recent North Korean missile launch, which Japan reported landed outside its exclusive economic zone. The launch occurred just over โa weekโข after US President Donald Trump expressed interest in a potential meeting with North Korean leader Kimโฃ Jong Un during a visit to the region.
The US Indo-Pacific Command released a statement Friday, saying it is “consulting closely” with allies โขand partners regarding theโฃ ballistic missile launch. While assessing itโข does not pose an immediate threat to US personnel, territory, โor allies, theโ command emphasizedโข the launch’s “destabilising impact.”