Pyongyang: North Korea has strongly criticized the upcoming joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea, calling them a "dangerous provocative act," according to state media outlet KCNA on Monday.
The annual drills, known as Freedom Shield, are set to commence on Monday and will run until March 20. According to the South Korean military, the exercises are designed to bolster the allies' preparedness against potential threats, including those from North Korea.
Pyongyang has long opposed such joint drills, viewing them as rehearsals for an invasion. The North Korean Foreign Ministry warned that these military maneuvers risk escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, potentially triggering an armed conflict from even a minor incident.
"The situation is being driven to a critical point where a single misstep could ignite a physical confrontation between both sides," the ministry stated, as reported by KCNA.
Additionally, North Korea claimed that these exercises would also undermine U.S. security interests, though it did not provide further details.
