Azernews.Az

North Korea's Defence Minister No Kwang Chol has threatened to take "more offensive action" as he condemned the United States’ security talks with South Korea on Saturday, Azernews reports, citing Tribune.

North Korea fired a ballistic missile towards the sea off its east coast on Friday, after denouncing US sanctions against North Korean entities allegedly involved in cyber-related money-laundering schemes.

South Korea's Defence Ministry condemned the missile launch, while saying the North's criticism of its meeting with the US was regrettable.

The US Indo-Pacific Command said that the launch "does not pose an immediate threat to US personnel or territory, or to our allies,” but noted that it "highlights the destabilising impact" of North Korea's actions.

Further, Chol criticised a recent visit by US and South Korean defence chiefs to the border between North and South Korea, as well as their subsequent security talks in Seoul.

He alleged they were conspiring to step up deterrence efforts towards the North, and to integrate their nuclear and conventional forces.

"This is a stark revelation and an unveiled intentional expression of their hostile nature to stand against the DPRK to the end," Chol said, referring to the country's formal name – the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had said that the core of the alliance with Seoul remains focused on deterring North Korea, although Washington will look at flexibility for US troops stationed in South Korea to operate against regional threats.

Chol also mentioned the visit of the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, George Washington, to Busan this week, following joint air drills with Seoul that had escalated tensions in the peninsula.

Although South Korea's navy said the carrier's visit was to replenish supplies and grant leave for the crew, Chol asserted, "We will show more offensive action against the enemies' threat on the principle of ensuring security and defending peace by dint of powerful strength”.

Last week, just as US President Donald Trump and other leaders were set to convene in South Korea, North Korea test-fired cruise missiles to the west of the Korean peninsula.

During his visit, however, Trump repeated his willingness to sit down with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Though no meeting took place, Trump said he was willing to return to the region to meet Kim.