SAEDNEWS: North Korea has again condemned the joint US-South Korea military exercises and warned that it will use its right to take “defensive measures.” Pyongyang’s warning comes despite Donald Trump’s recent order to reduce the scale of joint drills.
According to SaedNews: North Korea on Wednesday renewed its condemnation of the joint military exercises held by the United States and South Korea, warning that it would exercise its right to take “defensive measures” in response. The warning came even after Donald Trump recently ordered a reduction in the scale of the allies’ joint exercises.
North Korea’s official KCNA news agency said Pyongyang considers the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise, which began Monday, a military threat. It said North Korea would continue using its right to self-defense to “completely neutralize the enemy’s military threat” until hostile countries abandon efforts to overpower others through force.
KCNA also said US and South Korean military exercises on the Korean Peninsula and in the region would fail to achieve their intended goals.
North Korea did not mention Trump’s recent order to scale back the annual joint exercise, an action some observers have viewed as a signal of reduced tensions and an effort to resume dialogue with Pyongyang.
Instead, KCNA sharply criticized the drills, saying they have become more complex and increasingly focused on preparation for actual combat. The agency described parts of the exercise as “very dangerous” actions unlike training conducted in previous years.
North Korea also said South Korea is no longer merely the site of joint exercises by Seoul and Washington, but has become a “rallying ground for multinational aggressor forces” and a “testing ground for modern warfare.” Pyongyang again warned that US and allied military exercises on the peninsula and in the region would not produce the outcome they seek.
