North Korea vows more offensive response to US ‘threats’ -KCNA

North Korea on Thursday criticised a recent visit to South Korea by top U.S. defence officials and vowed more “offensive” responses to what it called military threats from the United States and its allies, state media reported.
In a statement carried by the KCNA news agency, a spokesperson for the North’s defence ministry blamed the United States for raising tensions in the region, referring to U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s Seoul visit this week.
“The armed forces of the DPRK will strongly control and manage all threats to its national security and interests with more offensive and overwhelming counteraction capabilities and through visible strategic deterrent military actions,” the statement said.
During Austin’s visit, South Korea and the United States revised a bilateral security agreement aimed at deterring North Korea’s advancing nuclear and missile threats.
South Korea’s defence ministry said the revision was necessary because the existing strategy did not adequately address rapid advancements in North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs.