DPRK Warns US-Led Drills Fuel Nuclear Confrontation

By Staff, Agencies

The DPRK has condemned the upcoming US-South Korean Ulchi Freedom Shield [UFS] exercises, warning that expanding military cooperation among Washington, Seoul and Tokyo is worsening tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Pyongyang said the drills, scheduled for August 17–27, are more provocative than last year’s exercises and vowed to strengthen its nuclear deterrence.

It accused Washington of pursuing a nuclear strategy that could lower the threshold for nuclear weapons use and push global security toward confrontation.

Meanwhile, DPRK Foreign Ministry spokesperson cited by KCNA described growing US-Japan-South Korea cooperation as a “nuclear alliance.”

The exercises will include training against drones, GPS disruption and cyberattacks, reflecting expanded military planning by Washington and Seoul.

Pyongyang has repeatedly rejected US-South Korean military drills as provocative, arguing they amount to preparations for confrontation. It also criticized recent US-Japan Resolute Dragon exercises, which included land-seizing drills, as aggressive and offensive.

Against this backdrop, military coordination among Washington, Seoul and Tokyo continues to expand, alongside US extended-nuclear-deterrence commitments to South Korea and Japan.

The DPRK views these moves as part of a broader pressure campaign requiring stronger strategic deterrence.

On Wednesday, the DPRK also launched a ballistic missile from the Wonsan area toward waters off the peninsula, its second such launch from the area in six days.

Pyongyang maintains that its missile and nuclear programs are aimed at deterring military action by the US and its allies.