North Korea warns of military action over joint S Korea-US drills

North Korea has threatened to unleash “unprecedentedly persistent and strong counteractions” if South Korea and the United States carry out planned military exercises in the coming weeks.

A spokesperson for North Korea’s foreign ministry issued the warning on February 17 before the annual Freedom Shield joint military exercises of South Korea and the US and accused Washington of stoking tension by conducting earlier drills which included US stealth fighters and a BI-B strategic bomber that can be equipped with nuclear weapons, local media reported, according to Al Jazeera.

“In case the US and South Korea carry into practice their already-announced plan for military drills … they will face unprecedentedly persistent and strong counteractions,” South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported quoting the spokesperson.

The spokesperson reiterated a longstanding claim by Pyongyang that joint exercises between Washington and Seoul were preparations for an invasion of North Korea, Yonhap reported.