{"id":2547,"date":"2026-08-14T04:39:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T04:39:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=2547"},"modified":"2026-08-14T04:39:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T04:39:22","slug":"north-korea-slams-us-south-korea-military-drills-and-threatens-strong-response","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=2547","title":{"rendered":"North Korea slams US-South Korea military drills and threatens strong response"},"content":{"rendered":"
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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) \u2014 North Korea on Friday threatened unspecified stern steps against the United States and South Korea ahead of their upcoming military drills<\/span>, which Pyongyang called a war rehearsal that would be more provocative than last year.<\/p>\n

Read more New aircraft carrier heads toward Mideast after reports of issues on long-deployed USS Lincoln<\/a><\/p>\n

The warning is typical of the harsh rhetoric that North Korea often deploys ahead of major U.S.-South Korean military exercises and suggests the country could conduct more missile tests<\/span> in coming days. Experts say North Korea has often used its rivals\u2019 drills as a pretext to ramp up its testing activities<\/span> to expand its weapons arsenals and promote public support for leader Kim Jong Un. <\/p>\n

The U.S. and South Korean militaries are to start their major summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield<\/span> exercises Monday and have described their scope as similar to past years. The allies have said the 11-day exercises are meant to strengthen their readiness against North Korean threats and reiterated that they are defensive in nature.<\/p>\n

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In a statement carried by state media Friday, North Korea\u2019s Foreign Ministry called the U.S.-South Korean training \u201ca rehearsal for an aggressive war\u201d that is triggering a different level of instability in the region.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is our consistent principle of ensuring security to respond to a new level of a threat with a new level of a deterrent,\u201d the statement said. North Korea \u201cwill more clearly express its stance on the enemies to cope with any threats and challenges through the responsible and decisive exercise of the right to legitimate self-defense.\u201d<\/p>\n

North Korea also said the drills would be of a \u201cmore serious provocative nature and dangerousness than last year\u201d and involve all the military assets and war-fighting modes of the U.S. and South Korea, a claim that those countries haven\u2019t said.<\/p>\n

Read more Iran-backed Houthis clash with Yemeni forces and other Mideast developments<\/a><\/p>\n

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A U.S. military statement issued Friday said U.S. and South Korean forces will practice joint operations in complex scenarios, including a live-fire exercise to test joint precision targeting and maneuver, a wet gap crossing, and distribution of prepositioned military equipment. <\/p>\n

North Korea\u2019s neighbors detected two ballistic missile launches<\/span> off the North\u2019s east coast in the past week. North Korea hasn\u2019t commented on the launches, but outside experts assess they were likely meant to protest the U.S.-South Korean drills or upgrade its weapons systems.<\/p>\n

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Kim has ignored the U.S. and South Korea\u2019s offers to resume diplomacy and focused on taking steps to bolster his nuclear arsenal since his diplomacy<\/span> with U.S. President Donald Trump broke down in 2019. Experts say Kim will likely eventually aim to use his advancing nuclear program to win greater U.S. concessions such as extensive sanctions relief. <\/p>\n

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