US consolidates its military positions in Japan, SKorea-Rodong Sinmun.

23/12 Tass 82

PYONGYANG, December 23 (Itar-Tass) - The leading North Korean
newspaper Rodong Sinmun writes on Thursday that the United States
"consolidates its military positions in South Korea and Japan".
The newspaper stresses "the US undermines peace and stability in North
Eastern Asia, creating there the atmosphere of a new cold war, by forming
the tripartite military alliance of Washington, Tokyo and Seoul under the
pretext of provocations from Pyongyang".
The newspaper notes that as a result, "the situation in the Korean
Peninsula sharply deteriorates".
Rodong Sinmun believes that the incident in the area of Yeonpyeong
Island in the Yellow Sea on November 23 took place through the fault of
the US, the author of "a sinister scenario, providing for establishing a
structure in the Asian region similar to NATO".
According to the newspaper's claims, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen discussed ways of implementing this scenario
during recent trips to South Korea and Japan.
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