North Korea Warns South Korea Over US-Led Defense Role

North Korea warned that South Korea could become a “decisive target” for collective retaliation if Seoul develops into a central hub for a US-led collective defense system, according to state media KCNA on Friday.

The warning adds to rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula as Pyongyang steps up criticism of military cooperation involving South Korea, the United States and other regional allies. North Korea has repeatedly portrayed joint military exercises and expanded defense coordination as threats to its national security.

In a commentary carried by KCNA, Kang Chol Su, identified as a department director at North Korea’s Institute for Enemy State Studies, accused Washington of transforming South Korea into a strategic military base designed to support broader US geopolitical objectives.

Kang argued that Washington intends to use South Korea as a platform from which forces could be deployed early in overseas conflicts. He pointed to remarks by the commander of US Forces Korea describing South Korea as an important center for collective defense and criticized continuing joint military exercises and US military deployments.

The commentary warned that Seoul’s deeper involvement in a US-led defense framework could expose it to retaliation from countries opposing that system. Pyongyang said it had already prepared countermeasures and threatened a forceful response to actions it considers challenges to North Korean security.

The latest statement follows several recent warnings from Pyongyang over military cooperation between Washington and Seoul. Earlier in September, North Korea criticized bilateral discussions on countering weapons of mass destruction and warned that such cooperation represented a serious security challenge.

US Forces Korea did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest KCNA statement.

The United States maintains roughly 28,500 military personnel in South Korea as part of the longstanding US-South Korea alliance, primarily aimed at deterring potential North Korean aggression.

Pyongyang’s latest warning comes as regional security tensions remain elevated following North Korean missile tests and continued US-led military exercises involving South Korea and Japan.