North Korea has strongly condemned the upcoming South Korea-U.S. joint exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), set to begin on August 18. Pyongyang warns of serious negative consequences that may arise from this military drill.
On Monday, Defense Minister No Kwang-chol issued a statement through the party’s official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, titled, Defending national security interests from U.S.-South Korea hostile threats is the absolute mission of our Republic’s armed forces. He noted that military officials from the U.S. and South Korea have officially announced the start of the large-scale joint military exercise UFS on August 18.
Minister No assessed that UFS, which simulates actual nuclear war scenarios, not only represents a direct military provocation against North Korea but also heightens the unpredictability of the situation on the Korean Peninsula and further destabilizes regional dynamics.
He cautioned that military demonstrations aimed at the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea would inevitably backfire, compromising the security of both the U.S. and South Korea.
The Defense Minister justified bolstering their self-defense capabilities, stating that responding to military provocations and protecting national security and regional peace is the fundamental duty of North Korea’s armed forces.
He emphasized that their military would maintain a thorough and resolute defensive posture against the U.S.-South Korea war exercises. No warned that they would exercise their sovereign right to self-defense against any provocations that cross the line.
The U.S. and South Korean military authorities are scheduled to conduct UFS, their first joint exercise under the Lee Jae-myung administration, from August 18 to 28. While both nations have described the exercise as defensive in nature, they notably refrained from explicitly mentioning North Korean threats. They also announced plans to extend some outdoor maneuver training into September.