DPRK warns of US, SK, Japan 'nuclear alliance': Grave risk to mankind
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DPRK state news agency warns that Washington is pushing for a "NATO-style nuclear alliance" in the East Asian region.
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US President Joe Biden, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida meet during a NATO summit in Madrid, Spain, June 29, 2022. (Reuters)
The United States, South Korea, and Japan are forming a "NATO-style nuclear alliance," the DPRK state news agency said on Thursday, warning that the rising of US-led military blocs in the Asia-Pacific might expose humanity to grave dangers.
“The U.S. has given top priority to the sharing of military information on the DPRK in strengthening the tripartite military cooperation and has steadily pushed forward with it,” Kang Jin Song, an international affairs analyst, said in a report published by Korean Central News Agency KCNA.
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His statement came referring to Washington's support for the [Republic of Korea] ROK-Japan General Security of Military Intelligence Agreement GSOMIA.
He added that efforts to share real-time data on DPRK's missile tests will escalate tensions in the already boiling region.
“The U.S. president called the South Korean leader to the White House in April to declare the establishment of the ‘nuclear consultative group’ — and even Japan is planning to take part in it,” said Kang. A “NATO-style nuclear cooperation alliance” appears imminent, he warned.
Referring to the increasing joint exercises, in addition to senior political and military meetings between the US and its Asian allies in the region, the report highlighted Washington's high interest in forming a trilateral military cooperation, despite Seuol and Tokyo not having a formal security alliance.
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During a state visit made by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to Washington last month, Yoon announced after a meeting with US President Joe Biden the establishment of a Nuclear Consultative Group NCG; a new US-ROK platform to jointly plan and execute the American nuclear umbrella (nuclear deterrence assets).
But so far, South Korea is yet to publicly approve Japan's participation in the NCG, and its Defense Minister Deputy Shin Beom Chul ruled out the possibility.
Both countries traditionally are far from being allies, even in bilateral exchanges, due to Japan's colonial past. However, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin hinted earlier this week that his country is open for Tokyo to join the group.
Seuol considers that the NCG could be an indirect yet formal security coordination between North Korea and Japan, which might pave the way for more comprehensive cooperation on common issues.
“Military and political blocs of exclusive and confrontational nature such as AUKUS, Five Eyes and QUAD… are now located more densely in the Asia-Pacific region than any other regions, exposing peace and security of mankind to grave threats,” Kang added.
“Such new function as real-time tripartite sharing of information … added to the cooperation, … means the emergence of the actual U.S.-Japan-south Korea military alliance.”
Kang stressed that Pyongyang will “frustrate the hostile forces’ wrong choice step by step with powerful strength.”
“The U.S. and its followers will get more and more exposed to security crisis facilitating its final ruin for its frantic moves to tighten their military alliance against the DPRK and expand the war drills for aggression — this is an equation characterizing the present dynamic structure of the Korean Peninsula."
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