North Korea warns of stronger deterrence measures over US-South Korea drills

Seoul, August 14 — North Korea has condemned upcoming joint military drills between US and South Korean forces, warning that it may respond with stronger deterrence measures, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. The 11-day exercises, set to commence on Monday, are an annual fixture designed to prepare the United States and South Korea to defend against the nuclear-armed North, which Pyongyang regards as rehearsal for an invasion.

Earlier this week, North Korea fired a ballistic missile over the Sea of Japan, signaling its opposition to the drills. A spokesperson for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry stated that the regime's principle is to respond to new threats with a corresponding level of deterrence. The statement emphasized that Pyongyang will not tolerate the confrontational situation being created by enemy states but will more clearly express its stance on adversaries to cope with threats and challenges through responsible and decisive exercise of the right to legitimate self-defense.

The drills are described as aiming to complete preparations for substantial military confrontation with the DPRK, referring to North Korea. North Korea accuses the US-South Korea "Ulchi Freedom Shield" drills, involving 18,000 South Korean troops and 28,500 US forces, of being a rehearsal for aggressive war. The US-South Korea forces have been training with North Korean troops who have gained experience fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.