North Korea has threatened to take unspecified “stern” measures against the United States and South Korea over their planned joint military exercises, describing the drills as a rehearsal for an aggressive war.
North Korea’s warning came ahead of the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises involving the US and South Korean militaries.
Pyongyang accused the two allies of staging a more provocative military exercise than last year and warned that the drills could further increase tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
In a statement carried by North Korean state media, the Foreign Ministry said the exercises were “a rehearsal for an aggressive war” and accused Washington and Seoul of creating a new level of instability in the region.
The ministry said North Korea would respond to what it described as growing threats by strengthening its deterrence and exercising its right to self-defence.
“It is our consistent principle of ensuring security to respond to a new level of a threat with a new level of a deterrent,” the statement said.
The US and South Korean militaries are expected to begin the 11-day exercises on Monday. The two countries said the drills are designed to strengthen their readiness against possible threats from North Korea and insisted that they are defensive in nature.
The exercises will include joint operations in complex situations, live-fire training to test precision targeting and manoeuvres, a river-crossing exercise and the movement of military equipment stored in advance.
North Korea, however, said this year’s drills would be more dangerous and provocative than those held last year, claiming they would involve the full range of US and South Korean military assets and combat methods.
The warning has raised concerns that Pyongyang could carry out additional missile tests in response to the exercises.
South Korea and its neighbours detected two ballistic missile launches from North Korea’s east coast in the past week. Although Pyongyang has not publicly explained the launches, outside experts believe they may have been intended as a protest against the planned drills or as part of efforts to improve North Korea’s weapons capabilities.
North Korea has regularly reacted to major US-South Korean military exercises with strong rhetoric and weapons tests, using the drills to justify the expansion of its missile and nuclear programmes.
AP.
