North Korea warns of ‘self-defence’ action over Seoul-US drills

North Korea’s defence minister warned Pyongyang would exercise its “self-defence” right if provoked during upcoming US–South Korea military drills. He called the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise a “direct provocation” and “real threat” to stability on the Korean Peninsula.

Seoul: North Korea’s Defence Minister No Kwang-chol on Monday warned that Pyongyang would exercise its “self-defence” right in the event of a provocation, denouncing a planned large-scale joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States.

The North Korean Defence Minister issued the warning a week before Seoul and Washington are set to kick off their annual summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise from August 18-28, reports Yonhap, quoting Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

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“We strongly denounce the US and the ROK for their provocative moves of clearly showing the stand of military confrontation with the DPRK,” the defence minister said, accusing the allies of undermining the security environment on the Korean Peninsula and warning of “negative consequences.”

North Korea’s military “will cope with the war drills … with a thoroughgoing and resolute counteraction posture and strictly exercise the sovereign right of the DPRK at the level of the right to self-defence in a case of any provocation going beyond the boundary line,” he warned.

DPRK stands for North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, while ROK means the Republic of Korea.

No described the UFS as both “a direct military provocation” against North Korea and “a real threat” that would heighten the unpredictability of the security situation on the peninsula, warning it will have “a boomerang effect,” plunging South Korea-US security into “a less safe situation.”

The minister also cited the UFS as “the main reason” the situation on the peninsula is “changing negatively day by day,” adding, “It is the absolute mission” of the North Korean military “to contain offensive movements of the enemy states, counter their military provocations and defend the security of the state and the peace of the region.”

This year’s UFS exercise has been partially adjusted, with about 20 of the originally scheduled 40 drills postponed to next month due to what military officials cited as the ongoing heat wave and flood damage, as well as Seoul’s apparent bid to improve ties with North Korea.

Adjusting the UFS has been a key focus in inter-Korean relations since Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, protested the exercise, describing the Lee administration as no different from his hard-line predecessor in a statement last month.

Monday’s statement by the defence minister, however, made no mention of the partial postponement.

South Korea’s unification ministry spokesperson Koo Byoung-sam noted that this year’s statement, issued by the North’s defence minister, represents an escalation from last year, when a similar statement against the UFS was released under the defence ministry spokesperson’s name.

However, the tone of this year’s statement appears to be “relatively measured,” focusing more on elaborating the regime’s stance rather than issuing a military threat, Koo said.

The unification ministry spokesperson also reaffirmed that the joint drills are regular training of a strictly “defensive nature, aimed at deterring war and safeguarding peace.”

“Going forward, the government plans to continue efforts to calmly and consistently promote cooperation in building peace on the Korean Peninsula,” he said.