Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the Workers’ Party of North Korea, criticized the deployment of the U.S. nuclear aircraft carrier Carl Vinson (CVN-70) to the Korean Peninsula and mentioned the possibility of a military provocation. In response, the Ministry of National Defense stated on the 4th that they would overwhelmingly retaliate if North Korea provokes.
In a text message to reporters, the Ministry of National Defense said, “North Korea’s criticism of the deployment of U.S. strategic assets ahead of the ‘Freedom Shield’ (FS) joint exercises between South Korea and the United States is just an absurd justification for their nuclear and missile development and an attempt to build a pretext for provocation.”
The Ministry added, “North Korea’s nuclear weapons are absolutely unacceptable, and the only path to survival for North Korea is to abandon its obsession and delusions about nuclear weapons.”
“Our military is thoroughly prepared for any provocation from North Korea based on a strong joint defense posture. If North Korea uses the rightful and defensive military activities of South Korea and the United States as a pretext for provocation, we will respond overwhelmingly.”
In a statement published in the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Workers’ Party of North Korea, Kim Yo-jong said, “The deployment of U.S. strategic assets in the Korean Peninsula region becoming a fixed practice negatively affects our security rights. We plan to seriously consider options to increase strategic deterrent actions against the enemy country’s security rights and will not merely sit and comment on the situation.”
The U.S. nuclear aircraft carrier Carl Vinson arrived at Busan Port on the 2nd. It is the first deployment of a U.S. nuclear aircraft carrier to the Korean Peninsula since the Trump administration’s second term. The Carl Vinson is a Nimitz-class, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier measuring 333 meters in length and 76.4 meters in width. The carrier strike group includes a battalion of 5th-generation stealth fighters F-35C, Super Hornet fighters (F/A-18), Hawkeye early warning aircraft (E-2C), anti-submarine aircraft (S-3A), as well as cruisers, destroyers, and submarines.