North Korea issued a stern warning on Friday, threatening to exercise its right to self-defence in response to the upcoming joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea. Pyongyang described the annual drills as a provocative war rehearsal.
The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, set to begin on Monday, are described by the allies as defensive in nature and aimed at strengthening readiness against North Korean threats. Both Washington and Seoul have maintained that the scope of this year’s training is similar to previous iterations.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry, in a statement carried by state media, condemned the exercises as more provocative than last year’s drills. The warning signals that Pyongyang may conduct additional weapons tests in the coming days. Neighbouring countries detected two ballistic missile launches off North Korea’s east coast in the past week alone, though Pyongyang has not officially commented on those tests.
