DPRK Condemns US-South Korea Military Drills, Warns of Nuclear War Threat
By Staff, Agencies
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea [DPRK] has strongly condemned ongoing joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea, describing them as preparations for a potential nuclear war against its territory and citing them as further justification for strengthening its nuclear deterrence capabilities.
Pyongyang said the latest joint military activities underscore the urgent need to reinforce its nuclear deterrence in response to what it considers growing military threats from Washington and Seoul.
South Korea and the United States launched their two-week joint air exercises, known as Freedom Flag, on October 26 at Kunsan Air Base in Gunsan, approximately 180 kilometers southwest of Seoul. The drills involve a wide range of advanced military aircraft and strategic assets from both countries.
According to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, the exercises include South Korean Air Force F-15K, KF-16 and F-35A fighter jets, alongside KC-330 transport and aerial refueling aircraft and E-737 Peace Eye airborne early warning and control aircraft.
The United States is participating with F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets and RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft, as well as US Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopters. The US Marine Corps has also deployed F-35B stealth fighter jets and MQ-9 Reaper surveillance drones.
Seoul has said the exercises are intended to assess and strengthen its ability to command combined military forces as South Korea seeks to regain wartime operational control from Washington by 2030 or earlier.
The latest drills form part of a broader series of joint military exercises conducted by the two allies in recent months.
Meanwhile, South Korea launched its annual large-scale Honguk military exercise on Monday, involving joint training with US forces stationed in the country, Yonhap TV reported.
The exercise, scheduled to run from October 19 to 30, will involve troop numbers comparable to previous years, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS].
The training encompasses ground, naval and air operations, alongside opposing-force scenarios and simulated combat exercises, with the stated objective of improving military readiness and coordination between participating forces.
Amid the escalating military activities, Kim Yo Jong, department director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, issued a statement on Monday addressing the situation along the border between the DPRK and South Korea.
“The situation of the southern border is very unstable,” Kim said, accusing the South Korean military of creating a serious security threat through what she described as reckless provocations.
She alleged that South Korean forces had endangered DPRK troops stationed near the border by firing warning shots using automatic rifles and large-caliber machine guns, claiming that the incidents were justified by accusations that North Korean troops had crossed the military demarcation line.
Kim said the alleged provocations began in August and coincided with the use of warning loudspeakers along the border.
According to her statement, South Korean forces carried out 2,870 rounds of provocative loudspeaker warnings and 201 warning-shot incidents between August 1 and October 17.
She further warned that these actions had crossed what Pyongyang considers a red line, particularly following what she described as the “mine explosion farce.”
The DPRK’s latest statements reflect growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with Pyongyang continuing to view the expanding military cooperation between Washington and Seoul as a direct threat to its national security and using the joint exercises to reinforce its calls for stronger nuclear deterrence.
