North Korea’s foreign ministry called on the United Nations to ask the US and South Korea to stop joint military drills that are causing “very dangerous escalation of tensions”.
“The United Nations (UN) and the international community should strongly urge Seoul and Washington to immediately stop provocative statements and joint military drills,” KCNA news agency today carried a statement from the vice minister. Diplomat Kim Gon-gyong.
According to Kim Gon-gyong, the exercises and declarations of the two countries have raised tensions on the Korean peninsula to “extremely dangerous” levels. “Unfortunately, the UN has been consistently silent about exercises of a clearly provocative nature,” he said.
The United States, South Korea and the United Nations have not commented on Kim Gon-gyong’s comments.
Pyongyang made the statement after the US and South Korean forces announced on March 3 that they would conduct a large-scale joint exercise called Freedom Shield, lasting from March 13 to 23.
North Korea considers the drills a “rehearsal for aggression”, while Seoul and Washington say the drills are aimed at bolstering defense capabilities and responding to threats from Pyongyang. US Forces Korea (USFK) spokesman Isaac Taylor said the exercises were routine and purely defensive in nature.
North Korea has repeatedly criticized the joint US-South Korea military exercises, seeing them as evidence that the alliance is hostile and wants to change the regime of Pyongyang. It warned that the US and South Korea would face an “unprecedented” response if they conduct joint military exercises this year.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un warned that the “irresponsible actions” of the US and South Korea will only push the situation in the region “to a very serious and uncontrollable stage”.