Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo, right, and U.S. Gen. Xavier Brunson, second from left, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, give field guidance at the Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, just 25 kilometers south of the inter-Korean border, March 6, during live-fire drills that the Army's Capital Mechanized Infantry Division conducted with U.S. forces. Yonhap
North Korea threatened Friday that South Korea and the United States will pay a "horrible" price for their joint military exercise slated for next week, saying the drills will soon bring a "storm" that deteriorates the security situation on the Korean Peninsula.
The North's warning came a day after the militaries of the allies announced that the annual Freedom Shield exercise will kick off Monday for an 11-day run, involving computer-simulated drills and on-field training.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a commentary that the annual springtime exercise by Seoul and Washington has continued to infringe on North Korea's sovereign rights and interests and worsen the regional security.
"The Freedom Shield has repeatedly undergone its worst modifications, fully equipped with all malicious signs. This will soon bring a storm of aggravating the security situation to the Korean Peninsula," the KCNA said.
Citing a plan by Seoul and Washington to increase the number of large-scale on-field drills to 16 this year from 10 the previous year, the North said the enemies' "war frenzy" is rising on a steep upward curve to a dangerous level.
"The enemies will pay a horrible price due to their foolish and reckless war drills that will require us to take just measures of a sovereign state for self-defense as well as the toughest threatening action," the KCNA said.
North Korea has long denounced the allies' joint military drills as rehearsals for an invasion and uses them as a pretext for provocations. South Korea and the U.S. have said their exercises are defensive in nature.
Last week, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, warned of stepped-up action in response to the latest arrival of the USS Carl Vinson, a U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, in South Korea.
She warned North Korea will strengthen the country's strategic deterrence if the U.S. continues its anti-North Korea military demonstrations.
Koo Byoung-sam, spokesperson at South Korea's unification ministry, reaffirmed that the annual military exercise is defensive in nature.
"North Korea has repeated stubborn claims, shifting the blame for escalating tensions whenever there is a joint South Korea-U.S. exercise," Koo said, calling the latest drills defensive training. (Yonhap)