Pyongyang condemns US-South Korea-Japan military drills as threat to regional security

North Korean authorities have voiced concerns over joint military exercises conducted by the United States, South Korea, and Japan near the Korean Peninsula, calling them a threat to regional security, according to the Korean Central Telegraph Agency (KCNA).

Kim Yo Jong, deputy director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea and sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, described the drills as a “reckless show of force” near the country’s borders that could lead to “unfavourable consequences.”

She said Pyongyang views the exercises as a continuation of Seoul’s confrontational policies and criticised the nuclear deterrence framework promoted by the US and South Korea.

In a separate statement, Pak Jong Chon, deputy chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party, labelled the exercises a “rehearsal for nuclear war” and a “serious challenge to stability.”

He emphasised that the actions of the allies require North Korea to strengthen its deterrence capabilities and readiness for potential conflict.

The joint drills, scheduled from September 15 to 19, include South Korea and the US conducting the command-post exercise Iron Mace, focused on nuclear deterrence scenarios. Concurrently, Freedom Edge exercises will take place in international waters near Jeju Island, involving Japanese forces.

By Khagan Isayev