Creation of "Asian NATO" is objective of U.S. strategic troops' reinforcement in Asia-Pacific Region - DPRK Ambassador to Russia
MOSCOW. Aug 23 (Interfax) - Reinforcement of the strategic component of the U.S. armed forces deployed near the Korean Peninsula is aimed to deter Russia and China and serve a purpose of creating a military bloc similar to NATO, in the Asia-Pacific Region, North Korean Ambassador to Russia Kim Hyung-joon said.
"Nowadays, U.S. military actions in the Asia-Pacific Region are becoming more and more aggressive, in contrast with the previous years. We observe how this year alone, the U.S. deployed a great deal of arsenals of its strategic weapons in the Asia-Pacific Region and Northeast Asia, in particular," Kim Hyung-joon told Interfax on Tuesday.
"For instance, the U.S. and South Korea announced the deployment of the THAAD missile defense, which was actively opposed by DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] and neighboring countries, as well as many countries in the world," Kim recalled.
"We observe how they enter into the waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula with their nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, nuclear-powered submarines, also sending their nuclear-capable bombers. This is what the U.S. strategy is about," he said.
Kim went on to criticize the actions of South Korea and Japan, the countries that the U.S. tries to involve in the tripartite union.
"Despite our peaceful proposals aimed to improve the relations between the north and the south of the Korean Peninsula, South Korea is completely in the wake of the U.S. and aggravating the situation in the Korean Peninsula," Kim said.
"Japan also intends to strive towards militarization of itself by way of amending its Constitution. The U.S. wants to justify before the international community its attempt to create a tripartite union to combine the U.S., Japan and South Korea," he added.
"The U.S. objective is to create an "Asian NATO" on the basis of such a tripartite union [the U.S., South Korea and Japan]. As a result of their efforts, they want to see our country destroyed and Russia and China effectively deterred and they want to achieve total superiority in the Asia-Pacific Region. This is the objective of the military expansion that is taking place in the region," he said.
"Unless an end has been put to U.S. nuclear military exercises, it is impossible to even dream of peace and security in Northeast Asia," he said.
It was reported earlier that the U.S. and South Korea were discussing the possible deployment of some elements of the U.S. THAAD missile defense system in the south of the Korean Peninsula. Independently, the U.S. moved to permanently deploy the 'Ohio' and 'Mississippi' strategic deterrent submarines in the waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula. Prior to that, all the three types of U.S. strategic bombers B-52H, B-1B and B-2A had been deployed at the Andersen Air Force Base on the island of Guam. Also, the U.S. has announced its plans to additionally arm the U.S. contingent in South Korea with Patriot III MSE modified interceptor missiles.