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North Korea has declared an intention to bolster its military capabilities in response to what it perceives as a nuclear threat from the United States.

This follows a report by state media on the recent failed US intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test, which had South Korean defense officials in attendance for the first time in six years. An anomaly in the Minuteman III missile launch from California led to its destruction soon after launch.

In response, a North Korean military spokesperson said, “The DPRK will as ever continue its military action to bolster up the deterrence and ensure the strategic security in the Korean peninsula and the region. The nuclear threat by the US and its vassal forces to the DPRK nears a new red line. It is clear that the current heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula resulted from North Korea’s futile nuclear development and reckless military provocations.”

The presence of South Korean officials at the US missile test was cited as indicative of a direct threat to the DPRK.

Amid these escalating tensions, South Korea’s Unification Ministry voiced concerns about potential North Korean military provocations, attributing heightened regional tensions to North Korea’s nuclear endeavors and military actions.