North Korea has criticized a series of deployment of U.S. strategic military assets to the Korean Peninsula, calling it a “death cry.”

An editorial by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) described the deployment Tuesday as a "frantic attempt" to respond to the swift advancement of the North’s nuclear forces.

The USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier(CVN-76), Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Michigan(SSGN-727), and a host of advanced fighters and bombers are in South Korea for an air show as well as joint exercises with South Korean forces.

North Korea says its nuclear weapons are for self-defense, and that Pyongyang is prepared for an increase in sanctions or a U.S. military option.

The North’s state media outlet said the regime will continue its nuclear development until it secures a balance of power with the United States.