North Korea condemned the planned large-scale joint exercises between South Korea and the United States as a military provocation and warned it would exercise its sovereign rights, including the right to self-defense, and take countermeasures.

According to the Korean Central News Agency, North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang Chol stated that the US-ROK exercises were not only a military provocation against North Korea but also a real threat, making the situation on the Korean Peninsula, which is currently under an armistice, even more unpredictable and unstable. He emphasized that deterring hostile acts of aggression, countering military provocations, and safeguarding national security and regional peace are the missions of the North Korean armed forces. North Korea will remain on high alert and effectively respond to the US-ROK war exercises.

Last week, the US and South Korean militaries announced they would hold routine joint military exercises from the 18th to the 28th of this month, but several field maneuver exercises were postponed until next month.