North Korea has condemned upcoming major military exercises between the United States and South Korea, accusing the allies of conducting drills that are more provocative than those held last year.
According to North Korean state media KCNA on Friday, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry said the exercises were contributing to rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Pyongyang also accused the United States, South Korea and Japan of turning their military cooperation into what it described as a nuclear alliance. It warned that North Korea would respond to what it considers a heightened threat by strengthening its own deterrence capabilities.
South Korea and the United States are scheduled to hold their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) joint military exercises from August 17 to 27. This year’s drills are expected to include training designed to respond to drone operations, GPS disruptions and cyberattacks, reflecting what the allies describe as evolving security threats from North Korea.
North Korea has routinely criticised joint US-South Korean military exercises, claiming they are provocative and could further escalate tensions in the region.
Pyongyang also said on Friday that it would continue strengthening its nuclear deterrent. The country accused Washington of pursuing a new nuclear strategy that it claimed could lower the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons and push international security closer to the risk of nuclear conflict.
In a separate commentary, KCNA pointed to US nuclear cooperation with South Korea and Washington’s extended-deterrence commitments to Japan as evidence of what it described as an increasingly dangerous military strategy.
North Korea claimed that the Korean Peninsula could become a priority target under the alleged US approach, further raising concerns over the possibility of a wider military confrontation.
The latest warnings come as military cooperation between the United States, South Korea and Japan continues to deepen, while Pyongyang maintains that stronger military capabilities are necessary to protect itself from what it regards as threats from the three countries.
