North Korea Condemns US-South Korea Military Drills

North Korea has condemned upcoming joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea, saying they are more provocative than last year’s drills, state media reported.

Pyongyang accused Washington, Seoul and Tokyo of turning their military cooperation into a nuclear alliance, warning it would strengthen its deterrence capabilities against the perceived threat.

Annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercises are planned for Aug. 17-27. The exercises will include training to counter drone operations, GPS jamming and cyberattacks, reflecting concerns about North Korea’s advancing military capabilities.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry said the statement was the first official response from Pyongyang to this year’s exercises. North Korea has repeatedly condemned the exercises, saying they are raising tensions on the Korean peninsula.

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Pyongyang also promised to strengthen its nuclear deterrent, blaming the United States for adopting a nuclear strategy that could lower the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons.

North Korea warned the alleged US strategy could push international security toward the risk of nuclear conflict. It also denounced US nuclear cooperation with South Korea and its extended deterrence commitments to Japan.

The latest warning followed Pyongyang’s launch of a ballistic missile into waters off the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday.

The missile was launched from the Wonsan area, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, six days after another ballistic missile was launched from the same site.