North Korea condemned joint military exercises by South Korea, Japan and the United States on Sunday, calling them "the Asian version of NATO" and warning of "fatal consequences".
The criticism came a day after the allies completed three days of exercises, "Freedom Edge," in ballistic missile defense and air defense, anti-submarine warfare and cyber defense training.
"We strongly condemn the show of military muscle," Pyongyang's Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by state news agency KCNA on Sunday, AFP reports.
He also emphasized that North Korea "will never overlook the moves of the US and its followers to strengthen the military bloc", and will protect regional peace with an aggressive and overwhelming response.
The Freedom Edge exercise was devised at the trilateral summit in Camp David last year to boost military cooperation amid tensions on the Korean Peninsula stemming from North Korea's weapons tests.
North Korea has long denounced joint exercises between the United States and South Korea as a rehearsal for an invasion and evidence of hostile policies between Washington and Seoul.
South Korea is concerned about North Korea's warming relationship with Russia, amid that country's invasion of Ukraine.
South Korea and the United States have accused North Korea of supplying Russia with weapons allegedly used in the war in Ukraine, which both Russia and North Korea deny.
South Korea has announced it will consider supplying Ukraine with arms directly, in protest at the recent mutual defense pact signed by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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