The U.S. State Department has criticized North Korea’s restoration of guard posts and transfer of weapons inside the Demilitarized Zone(DMZ) as actions that increase the risk of military tensions and miscalculations on the Korean Peninsula.

A spokesperson for the department issued the position in response to an inquiry by Yonhap News on Monday, saying that the United States remains in close and continual contact with South Korea through multiple channels to ensure that the alliance remains in lockstep.

The spokesperson stressed that the U.S. supports efforts to manage and reduce military tensions on the Korean Peninsula and around the world through military coordination, transparency, and risk reduction measures, reaffirming that Washington’s commitment to the defense of South Korea remains ironclad.

The South Korean military said on Monday that North Korea is restoring guard posts inside the DMZ and bringing heavy firepower into the area after scrapping the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement aimed at defusing cross-border tensions.

The spokesperson also said that the U.S. is closely assessing the North’s recent satellite launch in close coordination with allies and partners.

The department added that the U.S. is watching for any cooperative developments between North Korea and Russia on space-related technology, stressing that Pyongyang's advances in its space program have implications for regional and global security.

[Photo : YONHAP News]