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

North Korea has denounced remarks made by a senior U.S. military official, claiming South Korea will now be targeted for collective punishment. This assertion was made by Kang Chol-su, a senior official at North Korea's Institute of Enemy State Studies, in a commentary published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Kang labeled the United States as displaying its "gangster-like nature" by using South Korea as a key base to pursue its hegemonic strategy and as pawns in regional conflicts.

Speaking about the reconfiguration of security on the Korean peninsula, Kang emphasized the necessity for both South Korea and the U.S. to cooperate in confronting threats from outside sources. He highlighted that this move is a clear demonstration of an attempt to abandon the false pretext of defending South Korea, which has been used to justify the existence of U.S. military presence on the peninsula.