Washington Nuclear Submarine On Korean Peninsula, North Korea: US Responsible If Unexpected Situation Occurs

The submarine USS Michigan (SSGN 727) arrives at the Port of Busan, South Korea on June 16. (Source: US Indo-Pacific Command)

JAKARTA - North Korea on Monday denounced what it called a move by the United States to place nuclear missile submarines in waters near the Korean Peninsula, saying it created a situation that brought nuclear conflict closer to reality.

North Korea also claims US reconnaissance aircraft recently violated its airspace near the east coast, citing an unnamed National Defense Ministry spokesman, in a statement broadcast by the official KCNA news agency.

"There is no guarantee that a shocking incident where a US Air Force strategic reconnaissance aircraft was shot down over the East Sea would not have happened," the spokesman said.

The statement cites past incidents, in which North Korea shot down or intercepted US planes on the border with South Korea and off the coast. North Korea often complains about US surveillance flights near the peninsula.

The United States' move to place strategic nuclear assets on the Korean peninsula constitutes a blatant nuclear extortion against North Korea and regional countries and is a major threat to peace, KCNA said.

"Depending on future US actions, whether extreme situations arise in the Korean peninsula region that is not desirable by anyone, and the United States will take full responsibility if an unexpected situation occurs," KCNA reported.

It is known that the United States nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine arrived at Busan Port, South Korea, last month.

In April, South Korean and US leaders agreed US Navy nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines would visit South Korea for the first time since the 1980s, but no schedule has yet been given for the visit.

The visit is part of a plan to increase the deployment of US strategic assets, aiming to provide a more effective response to North Korea's threat and weapons tests to defend its ally, South Korea, as the two leaders have agreed.

North Korea's statement said the move to deploy nuclear submarines had created a "very dangerous situation that made it impossible for us not to realistically accept the worst-case scenario of nuclear confrontation".

Separately, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said it was time to show "the international community's technique of obstructing North Korea's nuclear weapons program, more powerful than North Korea's desire to develop nuclear weapons," in a written comment to the Associated Press published on Monday.

President Yoon is scheduled to attend the NATO summit in Lithuania this week, where he is expected to seek greater cooperation with NATO members regarding North Korea's nuclear and missile threat, according to a statement from his office.