North Korea ramps up self-defense capabilities in response to U.S. military drills

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has strongly defended its decision to enhance its self-defence capabilities in response to recent U.S. military actions in the region.

A statement from Pyongyang on February 15 outlined concerns over U.S. provocations, including the arrival of a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine on the Korean Peninsula and the planned large-scale joint military drills between the U.S. and South Korea, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

A senior official from the DPRK’s defence ministry stressed that these actions justified the nation's move to strengthen its strategic forces to maintain national security and ensure a balance of power in the region. The official affirmed that bolstering its defence was a legitimate right of any sovereign state, especially in the face of increasing military threats.

Pyongyang’s concerns were particularly focused on the U.S.'s pursuit of an aggressive arms buildup and the modernization of its nuclear forces. The DPRK has voiced opposition to what it perceives as destabilizing actions from the United States, which it believes threaten not only the Korean Peninsula but also global security.

Tensions have escalated as the U.S. has raised alarms over the DPRK's capabilities, particularly its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) forces. U.S. officials have claimed that North Korea’s nuclear weapons now pose a direct threat to the U.S. mainland.

In response, the DPRK has dismissed these claims as baseless and described the accusations as "brigandish sophism," accusing the U.S. of misrepresenting the situation.

Pyongyang has called on the United States to abandon its "military threat and hostile policy" toward independent states if it is genuinely concerned about its own security. The DPRK’s leadership insists that the only way to alleviate tensions and address security concerns is for the U.S. to cease its aggressive posture in the region.

By Aghakazim Guliyev