<Anchor>
Last night, in response to North Korea's artillery fire, the US government urged North Korea to immediately stop provocations and threats.
The U.S. Department of Defense took a negative view, saying that U.S. Forces Korea would protect South Korea when asked whether U.S. strategic assets could be deployed on the Korean Peninsula at all times in response to North Korea's escalating tensions.
This is Washington correspondent Yunsu Kim.
<Reporter>
The US State Department defined North Korea's artillery fire at buffer zones in the East Sea and West Sea on the night of the 18th as a provocation and urged it to stop immediately.
[Vedant Patel/Deputy Spokesperson for the US State Department: We urge North Korea to stop all provocations and threats.
The United States is still open to unconditional dialogue with North Korea.]
The US Department of Defense briefing was followed by a question about countermeasures to North Korea's successive provocations.
When asked if he believes that US strategic assets should be permanently deployed on the Korean Peninsula in response to the North Korean threat, a US Department of Defense spokesperson declined to immediately answer that the USFK is a promise to South Korea's defense.
[Patrick Ryder / US Department of Defense Spokesperson: More than 28,000 US troops are already stationed on the Korean Peninsula.
I think that's a sign of promise for our defensive relationship.]
Although he did not directly mention whether strategic assets were always deployed, it is believed that he actually expressed a negative view.
When asked about the need to intercept North Korean missiles, the Pentagon explained that it was sending a strong warning to North Korea by maintaining a surveillance posture with its allies.
The U.S. Department of Defense criticized North Korea for creating tension and unrest using this as an excuse, as the ROK-U.S. relationship is not about escalating tension but about maintaining peace.