US boosts military presence in Northeast Asia under pretext of North Korea threat - report

PYONGYANG, February 2. /TASS/. The United States has been consistently boosting its military presence in Northeast Asia while justifying these actions by the North Korean threat, Pyongyang’s official Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported on Monday. Washington "seeks by any means to contain the growing influence of major powers in Northeast Asia and other areas of the Asia-Pacific region," the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea says. The United States is interested in preserving tensions on the Korean Peninsula in line with its strategic plans aimed at "achieving a political and military advantage in Northeast Asia," according to the report. Therefore, Washington deliberately chooses to "escalate the situation every time when an opportunity emerges to normalize inter-Korean relations," the report reads. Shortly after Kim Jong-un’s New Year message, in which the North Korean leader outlined the principles of the reunification between the North and the South, the US introduced additional sanctions against Pyongyang. On January 10, North Korea announced it was ready to introduce a moratorium on nuclear tests should the US and South Korea shelve their plan for joint military exercises. However, the US government rejected the offer. The US and North Korea have no formal diplomatic relations and tensions have remained at the political level for many years. Since the Korean War of 1950-1953, the United States has maintained a strong military presence in South Korea. Read more