North Korea has accused US of violating its airspace

North Korea has accused the US military of conducting provocative surveillance flights which violate its airspace and trespass in its exclusive economic zone.

Pyongyang warned Washington that if such provocations persist, American reconnaissance planes may be shot down.

This comes amid soaring tensions on the Korean peninsula largely as a result of massive joint US South Korean War Games during which we have seen the White House deploy aircraft carriers, nuclear capable bombers, and, Reaper drones to the region.

• Pyongyang warned it could shoot down any American reconnaissance aircraft entering its airspace
  

  US-Pyongyang tensions

  North Korea says a US military spy plane has violated the country

Kim Yo-jong, sister of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, who is also one of his top foreign policy officials, said North Korean war planes were scrambled to intercept a US spy plane flying in Pyongyang's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) where it controls natural resources.

The EEZ includes the area within 200 nautical miles of its territory.

Kim insisted there were eight such intrusions on Monday, denouncing the intensifying sorties by the American aircraft as encroaching on her country's sovereignty.

Kim issued a warning that US forces would experience a very critical fight if these aggressive actions were to continue.

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  North Korea says it has successfully tested its latest Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), calling it a warning to the US and other adversaries.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff denied Washington was flying spy planes into North Korean territory, with a spokesman explaining the US is instead in the area surrounding the peninsula conducting standard reconnaissance activities.

In response Kim retorted that the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Republic of (South) Korea was acting as if it represented, and was acting on and in behalf of, the Pentagon.

An earlier statement by North Korea's Defense Ministry stated that the US was flying its reconnaissance planes within the country's inviolable airspace, which extends 12 nautical miles from the coast as per international law.

• North Korea says US spy plane violated its economic zone, warns of decisive action
  

  North Korea says US spy plane violated its economic zone, warns of decisive action

  North Korea says a US spy plane violated its exclusive economic zone eight times despite past warnings.

The ministry also asserted that the US actions were raising the risk of nuclear conflict on the peninsula, pointing to the pledge by the White House that Washington will periodically dock nuclear armed ballistic missile submarines in South Korea, while also citing the ongoing presence of American spy planes and drones within the region.

The statement further warned that there is no guarantee that a shocking accident such as the downing of a US Air Force strategic reconnaissance plane will not happen.

North Korean media describe the US sending nuclear assets to the peninsula as the most undisguised example of nuclear blackmail against Pyongyang, as well as its neighbors.

Last month an American B 52 strategic bomber participated in joint military drills with Seoul. After a multiyear pause, US President Joe Biden's administration resumed large scale War Games targeting North Korea.

Consequently, since 2022, Pyongyang has launched more than 100 missiles in retaliation.

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As part of the vast joint military exercises this year Washington and Seoul carried out the largest war drills in the history of their seven decade alliance.

Some of these drills even took place near the border with the demilitarized zone.

Pyongyang has maintained that its weapons and nuclear program are essential deterrent measures in the face of persisting War Games, carried out near its waters, by US and South Korean military forces, which it regards as rehearsals for an invasion of the country.

Meanwhile, in a separate report released by North Korea's foreign ministry, Pyongyang accused Washington of making desperate efforts to ignite a nuclear war and faulted the US for sending strategic assets to the region.

The so called denuclearization talks that got underway after a high profile summit between North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, and former US President, Donald Trump, has remained stalled since 2019 over persisting US led sanctions against North Korea and Washington's refusal to reciprocate Pyongyang's denuclearization bid.

The Biden administration has recently deployed a nuclear armed warship to South Korea further inciting the North to continue expanding its nuclear weapons program.

• A nuclear-powered US Navy submarine has arrived in the South Korean port city of Busan
  

  US nuclear-powered submarine arrives at South Korean port day after joint South Korea-US drills

  A nuclear-powered US Navy submarine has arrived in the South Korean port city of Busan, a day after the two countries held joint military drills in the Korean peninsula.

Last year, the United States, Japan, and, South Korea, entered a trilateral defense agreement. At the time North Korea referred to this pact as an Asian version of NATO.

In June it was revealed that the US intelligence community has concluded Pyongyang will continue to use its nuclear weapons status only as a way of accomplishing some political and diplomatic objectives not for offensive military purposes.

Compared with Donald Trump, President Joe Biden has adhered to a vastly more bellicose policy regarding North Korea.

In the last half of the Trump administration War Games were rolled back, dialogue was opened, and all sides reduced weapons tests.

As the currently crippling sanctions have been imposed indefinitely, Biden has offered Pyongyang no off ramp.

The US administration is demanding Kim agree to his country's denuclearization and disarmament.

The current status quo has North Korea facing myriad regime change rehearsals on its doorstep while US officials periodically threaten the country with obliteration.

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