North Korea is demanding the United States and South Korea halt large-scale military exercises, saying it is a provocation to which Pyongyang could respond with what it says are "stronger follow-up measures".
"The situation on the Korean Peninsula and its vicinity, and we are once again at a stage where serious conflicts for power and authority are possible, all because of the continuous and reckless military moves of the US and South Korea," according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of North Korea, reports Reuters .
The US and South Korea have begun one of their largest ever combined military air exercises, with hundreds of warplanes from both sides conducting mock strikes around the clock for much of the week.
The operation, called Storm of Caution, will last until Friday and will involve about 240 warplanes that will carry out about 1.600 sorties, the US Air Force announced.
On the other hand, Washington and Seoul believe that Pyongyang may continue to test nuclear bombs for the first time since 2017, so they want to deter North Korea in this way. And this despite the fact that some current and former US officials say that this will only worsen tensions.
"North Korea is ready to take all necessary measures to defend its sovereignty, national security and territorial integrity from external military threats," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of that country said in a statement.
They emphasize that they will consider stronger follow-up measures, if the US continues to persist in severe military provocations.
South Korean troops on Friday completed 12 days of Hoguk field exercises, which included mock landings on water, river crossings, and some exercises with US forces.
For North Korea, the joint exercises are a rehearsal for an invasion and proof of the hostile policy of Washington and Seoul. In response to the drills, they launched rockets, conducted aerial exercises and fired artillery into the sea.
They ignore repeated calls from the US to resume talks on the nuclear and missile programs, and instead, North Korea began an unprecedented missile test this year.
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