North Korea’s New Defense Minister Warns US Over Military Drills

North Korea's newly appointed defense minister, Kim Song Gi, has warned the United States and its allies against conducting military drills in the region, criticizing them as hostile forces threatening the country's national security. In a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, Kim said that if provoked, North Korea would respond with strong and reflective countermeasures.

The US, South Korea, and Japan initiated five days of joint military training, known as Freedom Edge, off South Korea's southern island of Jeju. Kim also criticized US drills with Japan and Australia, as well as a reported plan to bring in an American multi-domain mobile task force to South Korea, referring to them as "US-led war demonstrations."

The North Korean defense minister, who previously served as the director of the political bureau of the North Korean army, was appointed in late August as part of a reshuffle aimed at better implementing the ruling party's military policies. This development comes amid North Korea's efforts to enhance its naval capabilities, including the commissioning of its second destroyer in less than three months, as the country seeks to upgrade its nuclear arsenal while US President Donald Trump continues to claim a "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.