North Korea on Friday accused the U.S. and South Korea of inciting a nuclear war in the region. 



According to a report by CNN, the official KCNA news agency warned that allies' plan to deploy a missile defense system would push the region to the "brink of a nuclear war." 



Pyongyang also accused the two countries of planning "a pre-emptive attack on the North." 



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Both countries have warned the U.S. that deploying the system would destabilize the region and could lead to armed conflict. 

U.S. and South Korea, however, remain committed to the program as they seek to outpace the rapidly advancing North Korean nuclear threat. 

North Korea's warning comes on the same day as the new Defense secretary, James Mattis, reassured U.S. allies in the region that President Trump's administration will fully support their security interests. "Any attack on the United States, or our allies, will be defeated, and any use of nuclear weapons would be met with a response that would be effective and overwhelming," Mattis said during his visit to South Korea on Friday. "North Korea continues to launch missiles, develop its nuclear weapons program and engage in threatening rhetoric and behavior," the Defense secretary added. The missile defense project, known as Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, is strongly opposed by China and Russia.