North Korea vows self-defence as it denounces upcoming US-South Korea drills

North Korea’s foreign ministry issued a statement on Friday asserting that the nation will invoke its legitimate right to self-defence in response to the upcoming US-South Korean military drills. The regime labeled the Ultri Freedom Shield exercises, set to begin Monday, as a rehearsal for an aggressive war that is more provocative than the previous year’s training. While the United States and South Korea maintain that the large-scale drills are defensive and intended to bolster readiness against North Korean threats, Pyongyang claims they involve all combat assets and increase regional instability.

The warning arrives after neighboring states detected two ballistic missile launches off North Korea’s east coast, which external experts interpret as a protest against the drills or an upgrade of weapon systems. Analysts observe that North Korea frequently leverages such exercises to justify intensified weapons testing and to rally domestic support for its leader, Kim Jong Un. The statement also hinted at possible future actions to counter perceived threats, underscoring the heightened tension on the Korean Peninsula.