The move is the latest step by the U.S. to make clear that it views its forces as having “strategic flexibility” in countering not just North Korea but also China.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Friday fired a suspected short-range ballistic missile toward its eastern waters, South Korea’s military said, as Pyongyang steps up its testing activity while talks with Washington and Seoul remain stalled.

North Korean state-run media accuses Washington of pursuing 'open confrontation' against Pyongyang - Anadolu Ajansı

North Korea accused the South of dispatching drones over Pyongyang and dropping anti-Kim propaganda leaflets three times in October 2024, drawing a response from Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, who warned the drone flights could "lead to armed conflict and even war.”