{
  "id": 17197792,
  "title": "N. Korea slams S. Korea, US' Freedom Flag air drills, vows to deter with force",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/n-korea-slams-s-korea-us-freedom-flag-air-drills-vows-to-deter-with-17197792",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-30T08:22:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/foreignaffairs/northkorea/20261030/n-korea-slams-s-korea-us-freedom-flag-air-drills-vows-to-deter-with-force"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "North Korea on Friday vehemently criticized the joint air drills between South Korea and the United States, asserting that it would employ force to deter the exercise, according to Pyongyang's state media. As Seoul and Washington initiated the biannual Freedom Flag exercise on Monday for a two-week duration, a spokesperson from North Korea's defense ministry made the declaration. The U.S. and the Republic of Korea (ROK) military forces were accused of launching the provocative large-scale joint air drill against North Korea on October 26 by assembling massive air forces. The North Korean statement, published by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), alleged that the drills involved the Army, Navy, and Marines from allied forces and included the deployment of air refueling tankers and attack drones, which the North characterized as evidence of their military purpose, contradicting the defensive nature claimed by the allies. North Korea's armed forces vowed to \"thoroughly deter threats with force and act in such a manner that the enemy states can understand.\"",
  "summary": "North Korea on Friday denounced the ongoing combined air drills between South Korea and the United States, vowing to \"thoroughly\" deter the allies' exercise with force, Pyongyang's state media reported. A spokesperson at North Korea's defense ministry issued the statement as Seoul and Washington launched the biannual Freedom Flag exercise on Monday for a two-week run. \"The U.S. and the ROK…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "N. Korea slams S. Korea, U.S.' Freedom Flag air drills, vows to deter with force",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/n-korea-slams-s-korea-u-s-freedom-flag-air-drills-vows-to-deter-with",
        "published": "2026-10-30T07:04:12.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}