North Korea raised tensions in Northeast Asia after warning of stronger military pushback as a U.S. aircraft carrier docked in South Korea.
The threat followed a fresh missile test that splashed into waters east of the Korean Peninsula.
No Kwang Chol, North Korea's defense minister, condemned the port call by the USS George Washington and declared that Pyongyang will escalate its stance against what it sees as hostile forces, reports Al Jazeera.
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State media amplified his remarks Saturday, stressing that the country would confront moves it considers destabilizing.
Rising Hostility Over Military Cooperation
The minister said the North would target actions that challenged its security, signaling heightened readiness as Washington and Seoul tightened their cooperation, the report adds.
His comments came shortly after the U.S. and South Korea held their annual Security Consultative Meeting and reviewed deeper integration of nuclear and conventional defenses.
Missile Launch Follows New Sanctions
Friday's missile firing closely followed new U.S. sanctions against several North Korean nationals and two organizations linked to illicit cyber operations.
The launch also came days after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited the Demilitarized Zone, where he highlighted deterrence as the core of the alliance, Al Jazeera adds.
Joint Exercises And Strategic Presence
The U.S. Fifth Carrier Strike Group reached the South Korean port of Busan during large Freedom Flag drills involving both militaries.
The North blasted the drills and Hegseth's heavily publicized DMZ photos, calling them proof of hostility toward the regime.
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the projectile did not endanger American forces or territory but warned that Pyongyang's continuing launches threaten regional stability. Japan said the missile splashed outside its exclusive economic zone.
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