North Korea slams joint US-South drills as ‘open threat’
The nuclear-armed North Korea has long voiced outrage at the drills, considering them dress rehearsals for an invasion.
North Korea's state media has denounced the joint US-South Korea military drills as the most direct and overt threat to Pyongyang and regional stability. The commentary, published by the Korean Central News Agency, did not address US President Donald Trump's recent directive to reduce the scale of the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises.
Trump's decision, announced on Sunday, came just a day prior to the drill's scheduled commencement, and he labeled the exercises as "inappropriate and hostile." The North, which possesses nuclear weapons, has consistently condemned the drills, perceiving them as rehearsals for an invasion. In its commentary, titled "We Will Exercise Our Right to Self-Defence for Neutralising Military Threat from Hostile Forces through More Transparent Action," North Korea vowed to strengthen its defensive capabilities through transparent measures.
However, the commentary did not mention Trump's order or his expressed intention to restart negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The US maintains approximately 28,500 troops in South Korea as part of its defense strategy stemming from the 1950-53 Korean War, which concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.
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