North Korea has slammed its neighbors in South Korea and their US allies for engaging in “sinister” military drills as joint live-firing exercises between the two countries began on Monday.
North Korea’s state-run media said the exercises were a “military adventurism” and argued that the South was undermining peace in the region.
The drills, which involve ground, plane, and ship exercises, come amidst simmering tensions on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea has recently been ramping up its weapons tests, including ballistic missile launches, and US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have traded threats of war.
The exercises nonetheless come in response to North Korea’s recent tests and are aimed at sending a clear message that the US will respond to any provocation with military force. South Korea is also looking to use the drills to show that it is serious about defending its territory.