North Korea Threatens Military Retaliation Over ‘Unprecedented’ U.S.-ROK Exercises

On Monday, North Korea condemned this year’s U.S.-South Korea joint exercise “Freedom Shield” (FS) as reaching unprecedented levels of aggression and hostility, threatening to enhance its powerful countermeasures continuously.

The Institute for Disarmament and Peace of the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK released a statement in North Korea’s state-run newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, asserting that ramping up defensive efforts is an inevitable choice to safeguard national security interests amid an increasingly volatile regional environment.

The institute highlighted a series of military activities, including deploying U.S. B-1B strategic bombers during trilateral air exercises with South Korea and Japan in January, the Buddy Squadron program, and various combined arms live-fire exercises. It also noted the deployment of the USS Carl Vinson, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, and the Aegis cruiser USS Princeton on the Korean Peninsula in March. It stated, “In the four years since Freedom Shield began, we’ve never seen such a sequential and continuous deployment of U.S. strategic attack assets in the Korean Peninsula leading up to the exercises.”

The institute argued that this year’s Freedom Shield represents a more deliberate and provocative nuclear war exercise based on a comprehensive review of the U.S.’s and its allies’ combat readiness.

The institute criticized the joint exercises as essentially a trilateral military exercise involving the U.S., Japan, and South Korea. It claimed that the participation of forces from 12 UN Command member nations revealed the aggressive nature of this multinational war game.

The statement justified their efforts to bolster national defense: “Accelerating our defensive capabilities is our only option in this circumstance.” They argued that actual defense lies in robust offensive capabilities, stating, “Possessing overwhelming firepower that no one can challenge is the most reliable deterrent against war and any threats from aggressors.”

The institute emphasized, “We will continually upgrade and reinforce our powerful response capabilities across all domains to decisively counter any military provocations from hostile nations. As a responsible nuclear power, we remain committed to safeguarding peace and security in the region and beyond.”

This year’s U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises, conducted from March 10 to 20, included scenarios based on realistic threats. They also included analyses of North Korea-Russia military cooperation and shifts in North Korean military strategy, tactics, and capabilities observed in various global conflicts.

While North Korea initially responded to the exercises with provocative launches of several close-range ballistic missiles (CRBMs), it has since restrained its military actions. Instead, North Korea has voiced its opposition through official statements and communications.