North Korea Warns US Over B-52 Bomber Deployment in South Korea

North Korea has strongly criticized the recent deployment of a U.S. B-52 bomber in South Korea, warning that American strategic assets positioned on the Korean Peninsula will be the “first targets of destruction.” The nuclear-capable bomber’s arrival in South Korea marked a show of force against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.

The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) stated that the Korean Peninsula is legally in a state of war, and the U.S. should be aware that its strategic assets in the region are at the forefront of North Korea’s target list. The KCNA also declared that provocations of a nuclear war are entering a more dangerous stage and pledged a corresponding response, emphasizing that the U.S. should understand the gravity of the situation.

North Korea amended its constitution in September to enshrine a nuclear force-building policy, emphasizing its status as a nuclear state is “irreversible.” This development follows Washington’s commitment in April to increase the visibility of strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula to deter North Korea’s military threats, as outlined in a joint declaration between President Yoon Suk Yeol and President Joe Biden.