North Korea criticises US, South Korea joint military drills

U.S. special operation team takes part in the annual joint military drills with South Korea

FILE PHOTO: A member of South Korea's Army Special Warfare Command parachutes from a MC-130 airplane during their military exercise with U.S. Special Operations Command which is a part of the annual Freedom Shield joint military training between South Korea and the United States in Gwangju, South Korea, March 14, 2024. REUTERS/Josh Smith/File Photo

Source: REUTERS

North Korea criticised on Friday annual joint military drills planned by the United States and South Korea, saying it will worsen the situation on the Korean Peninsula, state media KCNA said.

Annual South Korean and U.S. military exercises called Freedom Shield are due to begin on Monday and run until March 20, aiming to strengthen readiness for threats such as North Korea, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) previously said.

The drills will "deteriorate circumstances in the Korean Peninsula," KCNA said.

"We have already made it clear that if the United States continues to renew its ... military demonstrations, we will have no choice but to renew ... strategic deterrence," KCNA said without elaborating.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

By Reuters