The mutual mistrust between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the West remains in place. In response to the recent joint military exercises between the US and the Republic of Korea in the region, as well as the test launch of a ballistic intercontinental missile in the US state of California, Pyongyang issued a stern warning on Friday. According to the Defense Ministry of the DPRK, the country will respond to strategic threats with strategic means.
“The DPRK will continue its responsible military activities to control and manage the unstable security situation on the Korean Peninsula with a strong deterrent policy” the ministry said in a statement.
The military body also criticized the US and its allies for escalating provocations after the return of US President Donald Trump to the White House. The DPRK’s military referred to a joint exercise by the US and South Korean air forces, which took place on Thursday and involved a supersonic strategic long-range bomber of the B-1B type. A day earlier, the US military had tested an intercontinental missile of the Minuteman III type at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
The DPRK’s Defense Ministry also listed other activities by the US military in the past two months, including troop movements just 30 kilometers from the border, the deployment of an atomic submarine at the Busan naval base and “daily” missions by tactical reconnaissance aircraft of the P-8A and RC-135V types in the region.
In its statement, the Defense Ministry accused the US of arrogance and double standards. This typical “Yankee gangster strategy” will not work on the government in Pyongyang, the DPRK said. The country will continue to rely on its nuclear deterrent as a means of self-defense and to protect its sovereignty and regional security.