North Korea’s Foreign Ministry warned Tuesday that it may consider applying «stronger follow-up measures» if the United States continues «military provocations,» referring to military moves carried out next to Seoul.
A spokesman for the North Korean Department has denounced that the joint air exercises carried out by the allies, called ‘Vigilant Storm’, are «incessant and reckless» military provocations, as reported by the South Korean Yonhap agency.
The latter has assured that it is a «war exercise for aggression», mainly aimed at attacking strategic targets of the Democratic Republic of Korea, in case of a contingency on the Korean peninsula,» in a statement published by the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and picked up by Yonhap.
The United States and South Korea kicked off the first large-scale air exercise in nearly five years on Monday and will continue until Friday, for which more than 240 aircraft have been mobilized. These moves come amid fears that Kim Jong Un will carry out a nuclear test.
The spokesman recalled that North Korea is prepared to «take all necessary measures to defend its sovereignty, people’s security and territorial integrity» against external threats.
The country has repeatedly denounced the joint exercises of Washington and Seoul as «rehearsals for an invasion» and has asked Joe Biden to curb this hostile policy. However, the U.S. government defends that they are defense moves.
North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Friday, as well as firing howitzers in recent weeks.
