North Korea says South Korea a target if it becomes US collective defence hub

SEOUL, Sept 25 (Reuters) – North Korea said on Friday that South Korea would become a “decisive target” for collective retaliation if it served as a central hub in a US-led collective defence system, state media KCNA reported.

In a KCNA commentary, Kang Chol Su, described as a department director at the Institute for Enemy State Studies, accused Washington of turning its ally South Korea into a base for pursuing global hegemony and using it as a platform to deploy first in overseas conflicts.

Kang cited remarks by the commander of US Forces Korea portraying South Korea as a key centre of collective defence and criticised joint drills and US deployments.

The commentary said Pyongyang had prepared countermeasures and would ruthlessly crush challenges to its security.

US Forces Korea did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The United States stations about 28,500 military personnel in South Korea to help deter aggression from North Korea.

(Reporting by Joyce LeeEditing by Ed Davies)