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North Korea condemns Britain over warships' visit to South Korean port

Published: 21 Aug. 2025, 09:21 Updated: 21 Aug. 2025, 16:23

An Indonesian Navy member assists crew members of Royal Navy frigate HMS Richmond to dock upon arrival for a port call at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, Indonesia, on June 25. [AP/YONHAP]

North Korea on Thursday criticized Britain for sending warships to South Korea's port in Busan, calling it a "war expedition."

The North's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) issued the criticism in a commentary after two Royal Navy warships — the replenishment tanker RFA Tidespring and the frigate HMS Richmond — docked at the Busan port last week.

The port visit is part of the Royal Navy's Indo-Pacific-focused deployment called Operation Highmast. In September, the HMS Prince of Wales, a British aircraft carrier, is scheduled to conduct an aerial capability demonstration in South Korean waters.

The KCNA condemned the deployment "as a war expedition that will drive the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and the region to its worst state."

The KCNA accused London of finally putting its plans for military intervention in the Asia-Pacific region into action, warning that it will not end in "a delightful journey."

Yonhap