SEOUL: North Korea’s state media KCNA, in a report on Thursday, accused the US and South Korea of pushing tensions to the brink of nuclear war by carrying out joint military exercises and vowed “offensive action” in order to respond to their moves.
KCNA released a commentary by international security analyst Choe Ju Hyon. The report criticized the drills as a trigger to lead the situation on the Korean peninsula to the point of explosion (no return).
American and South Korean armed forces have been undertaking a series of yearly springtime drills since March that include sea and air exercises involving an American aircraft carrier as well as B-1B and B-52 bombers, along with their 1st large-scale amphibious landing drills in 5 years.
Pyongyang vows offensive actions against US-South Korea drills
The article stated that the purpose of the air carrier’s participation was to stoke confrontation, saying Pyongyang would respond to the exercises by exercising its war deterrence by means of “offensive action”.
It added that the exercises had turned the Korean peninsula into a large powder magazine that could detonate at any moment.
North Korea reacting furiously to the exercises, termed them a rehearsal for invasion.
Pyongyang has been increasing its military activity in recent weeks, unveiling new nuclear warheads that are smaller than before, testing what it called an N-capable underwater attack drone, and firing an ICBM capable of striking anywhere in the US.
