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North Korea's newly appointed defence minister, Kim Song-gi, has warned that Pyongyang will take strong countermeasures against the United States and its allies if provoked into a new military confrontation during the ongoing Freedom Edge exercise. Kim, who assumed his role in late August, made the threat in a statement released by the Korean Central News Agency on Monday.

He described the US-led drills as a serious security threat and a destabilizing force on the Korean Peninsula and beyond the region. Kim vowed that North Korea would respond "from the standpoint of power" should the United States and its allies attempt to trigger a confrontation, and could demonstrate its willingness to respond with more powerful actions if necessary.

This warning marks Kim's first public threat since his appointment as defence minister, replacing No Kwang-chol in a senior military reshuffle announced on August 30. The Freedom Edge exercise, which began on September 7 and is set to run until September 11, involves joint air, maritime, and cyber operations, as well as integrated air and missile defense capabilities among the United States, South Korea, and Japan.

North Korea has vehemently criticized the exercise, accusing the United States of conducting military demonstrations and portraying trilateral security cooperation as an offensive structure. Kim also criticized other planned US-linked exercises, such as Orient Shield, and the deployment of the US Army's Typhon mid-range missile system in Japan, which he believes increases pressure on North Korea and reinforces a hostile policy.

Despite recent efforts by US President Donald Trump to scale back some bilateral exercises, North Korea continues to condemn allied drills, maintaining that they are preparations for attack.