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

North Korea on Friday condemned a remark by the top commander of U.S. Forces Korea, saying South Korea will become a target of punishment instead. Kang Chol-su of North Korea’s Institute of Enemy State Studies made the statement in commentary carried by KCNA. He accused the U.S. of using South Korea as a key base for hegemonic strategy and said the ROK is being tied to a collective defense system. He also said South Korea is increasing its defense cost.

Kang Chol-su is the section chief of North Korea’s Institute of Enemy State Studies.

The statement was carried by the Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA.

Kang quoted U.S. Forces Korea Commander Xavier Brunson as talking about redesigning security on the Korean Peninsula and the need for the ROK and the U.S. to jointly cope with threats from outside the peninsula.

He said South Korea will become a decisive target of collective punishment.

He said South Korea is playing a suicidal role as a top-class war servant of the U.S. by willingly accepting increased defense cost.

Published Sep 25, 2026 10:11 am KST

Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of the U.S. Forces Korea, leaves a gathering with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, Seoul, Jan. 26. Yonhap

North Korea on Friday condemned a recent remark made by the top commander of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) that South Korea plays a decisive center for collective defense, noting Seoul will instead become a target of punishment.

The statement came from Kang Chol-su, section chief of North Korea's Institute of Enemy State Studies, in a commentary carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

In the statement, Kang said the U.S. is "openly revealing its gangster-like nature" to use South Korea as Washington's "key base for implementing its hegemonic strategy and as its mercenaries in the regional conflict."

"(U.S. Forces Korea Commander Xavier Brunson) talked about the redesigning of the security of the Korean peninsula, stressing the need for the ROK and the U.S. to jointly cope with the threat from outside the Korean peninsula," Kang said. The ROK stands for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.

"This is a clearer manifestation of the attempt to completely discard the deceptive veil of 'defense of the ROK,' which has so far been used as the justification for the existence of the U.S.-ROK alliance, and to tie the ROK to the aggressive 'collective defense' system for implementing the strategy for world hegemony," he said.

Kang added that South Korea is playing "a suicidal role as top-class war servant of the U.S. by willingly accepting to increase its defense cost."

"The ROK, which has emerged as a 'decisive center for collective defense,' pursuant to the U.S. strategic interests, will become a decisive target of collective punishment."

朝鲜周五谴责驻韩美军最高司令官的言论，称韩国反而会成为惩罚的目标。朝鲜敌国研究所的姜哲洙在朝中社发表的评论文章中作出了上述表态。他指责美国将韩国作为其霸权战略的关键基地，并称韩国正被捆绑在集体防御体系中。他还表示，韩国正在增加国防开支。

康哲洙是朝鲜敌国研究所的科长。

该声明由朝鲜中央通讯社（KCNA）发布。

康援引驻韩美军司令泽维尔·布伦森的话说，要重新设计朝鲜半岛的安全形势，韩国和美国需要共同应对来自半岛以外的威胁。

他说，韩国将成为集体惩罚的决定性目标。

他表示，韩国甘愿承担不断增加的国防开支，扮演着美国顶级战争仆人的角色，无异于自杀。

发布于2026年9月25日上午10:11（韩国标准时间）

1月26日，驻韩美军司令泽维尔·布伦森将军在首尔与韩国外长赵显铉和美国国防部负责政策的副部长埃尔布里奇·科尔比会面后离开。（韩联社）

朝鲜周五谴责驻韩美军最高司令官近日发表的言论，该言论称韩国在集体防御中扮演着决定性中心的角色，并指出首尔反而会成为惩罚的目标。

该声明来自朝鲜敌国研究所科长姜哲洙，朝鲜中央通讯社（朝中社）刊登了一篇评论文章。

康在声明中表示，美国“公然暴露其流氓本性”，将韩国作为华盛顿“实施其霸权战略的关键基地，并作为其在地区冲突中的雇佣兵”。

康说：“（驻韩美军司令泽维尔·布伦森）谈到了重新设计朝鲜半岛安全形势，强调韩国和美国需要共同应对来自朝鲜半岛以外的威胁。” 韩国的正式名称是大韩民国。

他说：“这更清楚地表明，美韩联盟试图彻底抛弃‘保卫韩国’这一具有欺骗性的幌子，并将韩国与侵略性的‘集体防御’体系捆绑在一起，以实现其世界霸权战略。”

康补充说，韩国“甘愿增加国防开支，扮演着美国顶级战争仆人的角色，这无异于自杀”。

“根据美国的战略利益，韩国已成为‘集体防御的决定性中心’，也将成为集体惩罚的决定性目标。”