North Korean military officials have issued a statement warning of “disastrous consequences” for the US navy buildup in the region, apparently fueled by concerns of the recent deployment of US ships to a South Korean port.
The statement said that all services of the Korean People’s Army have been put on high alert, and told to be ready for military operations at any time, saying the US would be responsible for any “unexpected horrible disaster” that results from it.
South Korean officials downplayed the concerns about the statement, saying there was no indication of any unusual activity among North Korea’s military forces, while the US condemned North Korea for “defying the international community.”
Tensions had been on the rise in the early spring, centered around a US-South Korea military exercise, but ultimately subsided after the exercise ended. Such incidents usually just involve a few threats from either side and calm down in a day or two, or at most a few weeks.
