Pyongyang has condemned the recent joint naval exercises conducted by South Korea, the US and Japan and warned of “overwhelming” and “decisive” reactions to any provocation by hostile countries.
According to the North Korean news agency, KCNA, the statement is in response to the naval drills that took place from Monday to Thursday in international waters off the coast of South Korea, near the island of Jeju.
The South Korean news agency, Yonhap, reported on Tuesday that the US aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson participated in the exercise, which aimed to strengthen the deterrence against North Korea’s military threats.
KCNA accused the hostile countries of “pushing the already strained political and military situation in the region to the brink” and noted that the trilateral exercises coincided with the annual South Korea-US exercise, Freedom Shield.
The agency further stated that the “adventurous” efforts of the US administration to dominate the entire Asian-Pacific region “exceed all precedents”.
Pyongyang accused the Trump administration of inheriting the hostile policy towards North Korea from the Biden administration and warned that “all provocations or threats from hostile countries will be met with overwhelming and decisive response”.
Pyongyang has long condemned the joint military activities of the US and South Korea as a rehearsal for an invasion. Seoul and Washington have stated that the exercises are necessary in the face of a growing security threat from North Korea.