At a trilateral summit last year, leaders from the US, South Korea, and Japan agreed to conduct annual military drills as a demonstration of unity in response to North Korea’s nuclear threats and China’s growing regional influence.
“We strongly denounce…provocative military muscle-flexing against the DPRK,” stated Pyongyang’s foreign ministry via the state-run KCNA news agency on Sunday, referring to North Korea by its official name.
The ministry criticized the US-Japan-South Korea relations, comparing them to an “Asian-version NATO” and warned of “fatal consequences.” The statement emphasized that North Korea “will never overlook the moves of the US and its followers to strengthen the military bloc.”
The recent joint drills included Washington’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, Tokyo’s guided-missile destroyer JS Atago, and Seoul’s KF-16 fighter jet. Pyongyang has consistently condemned such combined exercises, viewing them as rehearsals for an invasion.
In addition, the two Koreas have been engaged in a tit-for-tat balloon campaign, with Pyongyang sending trash-filled balloons southward in retaliation to similar messages sent northward from the South carrying pro-Seoul propaganda. South Korea has also expressed concerns over North Korea’s growing relations with Russia.
North Korea is accused of violating arms control measures by supplying weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine. This month, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, showcasing their unity.
