(Seoul) North Korea on Sunday denounced the latest joint military exercises between South Korea, Japan and the United States, calling them “Asia’s version of NATO” and warned of “fatal consequences.”
The three allies completed the three-day “Freedom Edge” exercises on Saturday, focusing on ballistic missiles, air defense, undersea warfare and cyber defense.
At a trilateral summit last year, the leaders of the United States, South Korea and Japan decided to hold annual exercises as a sign of unity in the face of threats from North Korea, which has nuclear weapons, and the growing influence of China in the region.
“We strongly denounce […] “military provocations” against North Korea, the North Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by the KCNA news agency on Sunday.
“Relations between the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea have taken on the appearance of an Asian version of NATO,” he added, warning of “fatal consequences.”
Pyongyang “will never allow actions taken by the United States and its supporters to strengthen the military bloc to pass.”
The US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, Japanese guided-missile destroyer JS Atago and South Korean KF-16 fighter jet were deployed for the exercises.
Pyongyang views such combined exercises as rehearsals for an invasion.
In recent weeks, Seoul and Pyongyang have engaged in a balloon war, with North Korea sending garbage-filled balloons south in retaliation for propaganda shipments against the North Korean regime by South Korea.
Seoul is worried about a rapprochement between Moscow and its unpredictable neighbor, and South Korea has stepped up weapons tests.
The United States and allied countries on Friday accused North Korea of violating arms controls by selling what Washington says are missiles to Russia used in the war in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin travelled to Pyongyang in June for the first time in 24 years for a summit with Kim Jong-un in a show of unity.