N. Korean official says S. Korea to become target of 'collective punishment'

SEOUL, September 25 - North Korea's official statement on Friday rebuked a recent comment by the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) commander, Xavier Brunson, who stated that South Korea serves as a crucial hub for collective defense. In a commentary published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kang Chol-su, a senior official from North Korea's Institute of Enemy State Studies, asserted that Seoul would now be targeted for punishment instead.

Kang accused the U.S. of openly displaying its "gangster-like nature" by utilizing South Korea as a key base for its hegemonic strategy and its regional "mercenaries." He further criticized the redesign of the security on the Korean peninsula, emphasizing the shift from a defensive posture to a "collective defense" system that aligns with U.S. strategic interests.

Kang further claimed that South Korea's willingness to increase its defense expenditures positions it as a "suicidal servant" of the U.S., making it a primary target of collective punishment.