North Korea vows more offensive response to US 'threats'

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik attending a welcome ceremony before their Defense Minister meeting of the South Korea-United Nations Command (UNC) Member nations at the Defense Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, on Nov 14, 2023. — Reuters

SEOUL (Reuters): North Korea on Thursday (Nov 16) criticised a recent visit to South Korea by top US 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 US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's Seoul visit this week.