The US Air Force launched a Minuteman III missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead from a base in California (USA) in a test on November 1, but the missile later exploded in the sky due to an accident. The test was witnessed by South Korean defense officials, according to Reuters.
A North Korean military commentator assessed that, despite the failure of the test, the presence of South Korean troops showed that US nuclear weapons were aimed at North Korea.
"The DPRK will continue its military action to bolster its deterrence and ensure the strategic security of the Korean Peninsula and the region," the unnamed commentator said in an article published by the North's KCNA news agency on November 3.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (center) appears next to a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile in March 2022.
The commentary also criticized Washington and Seoul for a number of recent military moves, including the US military's deployment of nuclear-capable strategic bombers in South Korea.
A North Korean commentator said the nuclear threat from the US and its allies to North Korea "is approaching a new red line", calling for strengthening "self-defensive nuclear forces".
South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, said the commentary raised questions about whether Pyongyang was preparing the ground for another "military provocation."
"It is clear that the current heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula are due to North Korea's futile nuclear development and reckless military provocations," Reuters quoted South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim In-ae as saying at a news conference.
South Korea held a joint military exercise with the United States and Japan near the Korean Peninsula in October, involving US B-52 strategic bombers as well as fighter jets from the three countries.
The United States and South Korea also held an air exercise involving 130 fighter jets to simulate 24 hours of wartime operations last month. The allies said the exercise was aimed at maintaining combat readiness in response to North Korea.
North Korea has long claimed such drills are preparations for an invasion.
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