North Korea responds to massive, ‘reckless’ U.S.-led war games

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has condemned the five days of U.S.-South Korea joint war drills that launched Nov. 1. 

After a flurry of joint exercises held in April, August, September and October – some of which included Japan – a DPRK spokesperson said the Nov. 1 aerial drills were the “largest-ever” in history and showed that “the U.S. nuclear war script against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has entered the final stage.”

The north vowed to take “all necessary measures” to defend itself, saying that the joint aerial drills are in preparation for a nuclear strike on the DPRK. 

A statement from a foreign ministry official cited in KCNA describes “an aggression-type war exercise with the basic purpose of hitting strategic targets of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” which presents the risk of “serious confrontation with great powers.”

“Nowhere in the world can we find a military exercise with an aggressive character like the joint military exercise held by the United States and its followers in terms of duration, scale, content and density,” the foreign ministry official said. “The U.S. nuclear war script against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has entered the final stage.”

The drills include about 100 U.S. warplanes and 140 South Korean aircraft, with Australia also participating. 

The DPRK foreign ministry official said, “We are ready to take all necessary measures to protect the sovereignty of the country, the safety of our people and our territorial integrity from external military threats,” adding that Washington will “pay an equal price if it attempts to use force against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.”

The foreign ministry official reiterated that the DPRK’s nuclear arsenal is for defensive purposes only.

Massive protests are ongoing in South Korea, demanding the end of right-wing President Yoon Suk-yeol’s tenure and the U.S.-South Korea-Japan war exercises.