Pyongyang slams Washington’s new nuclear strategy as an offensive posture

North Korea on Friday criticized the new nuclear strategy of the United States under review as lowering the threshold for nuclear use, vowing to strengthen its "nuclear deterrent for self-defense."

The criticism came amid reports that the Pentagon is drafting a new nuclear strategy focusing on the use of short-range tactical nuclear weapons in case of conflicts with China or Russia.

"The U.S. moves for nuclear hegemony aimed at gaining the absolute superiority in strength has entered a new dangerous stage," showed a military commentator's article carried by the Korean Central News Agency.

Citing an unnamed foreign media report and experts, North Korea claimed the U.S. administration was developing a new nuclear strategy centered on the expansion of its capability to launch an attack with tactical nuclear weapons in order to cope with potential regional disputes with China and Russia.

"This shows that the U.S. nuclear strategy is offensively turning into the one for using nukes in real war from so-called one for deterrence," it added.

The commentator accused Washington of rapidly modernizing its nuclear forces with a goal to use them "in a real war," saying the United States had been "busy upgrading" its "nuclear strategy assets."

The article warned the new strategy could further destabilize the Asia-Pacific, a region home to "many nuclear weapons states."

It also pointed to the U.S. efforts to strengthen nuclear deterrence with South Korea and Japan, citing regular meetings of the Nuclear Consultative Group between Seoul and Washington and U.S. commitments to providing Japan "with extended deterrence including nuclear weapons."

"The first target of the new nuclear strategy may be the Korean peninsula," it said.

The commentator called for North Korea's "nuclear deterrent for self-defense," and warned any "adventurous" move against Pyongyang would carry "catastrophic consequences."

Yonhap