Politics

Pyongyang warns of ‘powerful’ response to US-South Korea joint drills

Seoul, Nov 1 (EFE).- North Korea on Tuesday demanded that the United States and South Korea stop the aerial military exercises that are underway in the Korean peninsula, warning of “more powerful” repercussions for an act that it considers a threat its sovereignty.

The North Korean foreign ministry has issued a statement dated Oct. e1, which was published by state news agency KNCA on Tuesday, denouncing the launch of the largest ever joint air drills by Seoul and Washington, deploying around 140 warplanes including stealth fighter jets.

“This drill (…) is a war drill for aggression mainly aimed at striking the strategic targets of the DPRK (North Korea’s official name) in case of contingency in the Korean Peninsula,” Pyongyang said in its statement.

It added that the situation in the Korean peninsula and its vicinity “has entered the serious confrontation phase of power for power again due to the ceaseless and reckless military moves of the U.S. and South Korea.”

The US and South Korea have carried out joint military exercises in April, August, September and October, with the participation of American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier that elicited a similar sharp rebuke from the North Korean regime.

These exercises “have the more clear aggressive nature than any other ones everywhere else of the world in terms of the period, scale, contents and density,” Pyongyang’s foreign ministry said, warning that “the US nuclear war scenario against the DPRK has entered the final stage.”

The statement said it was “absurd” that Washington had blamed Pyongyang for raising tensions in the region and accused the US of “trying to shift the responsibility for the escalated tensions.”

“The DPRK is ready to take all necessary measures for defending its sovereignty (…). If the US continuously persists in the grave military provocations, the DPRK will take into account more powerful follow-up measures,” the regime threatened.

It warned Washington to “stop the useless and ineffective war exercises at once,” or it would be to blame for “all the consequences.”

The North Korean statement was released hours after the launch of the Vigilant Storm exercises, set to last until Friday, which have triggered concern over possible retaliation by Pyongyang, which has carried out missile tests at an unprecedented rate this year. EFE

asb-mra/ia

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