North Korea's Ministry of Defense defines military exercises in the US as a serious security threat... Strong response warning

Statement from the Ministry of National Defense... “The U.S.-led war demonstration is a serious security threat.”

The deployment of the U.S. multi-domain special mission to the Korean Peninsula and the joint U.S.-Japan ship training were also criticized.

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Eun-jung = North Korea objected to the US-led joint military exercises conducted in the Asia-Pacific region, including 'Freedom Edge', a regular multi-domain exercise between Korea, the US and Japan, and threatened to take countermeasures.

In a statement released through the Korean Central News Agency on the night of the 7th, Minister of National Defense Kim Seong-gi said, "If the United States and its allies attempt a new military confrontation with us, we will also take strong and reflexive countermeasures from a position of strength."

Defense Minister Kim mentioned in detail the 'Orient Shield' exercise to be conducted by the US, Japan, and Australia starting on the 8th, along with the 'Freedom Edge' between Korea, the US and Japan, which started on this day, the deployment of the US military's latest medium-range missile system 'Typhon' for this exercise, and the promotion of the deployment of the US Army's special forces, the Multi-Domain Rapid Task Force, to Korea within the year.

At the same time, he defined, "The reality that US-led war demonstrations are being carried out one after another without any space in time or space is a serious security threat that is pushing the instability situation on the Korean Peninsula and beyond the region to the breaking point."

Defense Minister Kim repeatedly expressed his will to strengthen military forces, saying, "The most effective way to strongly control the realistic and increasing risk of conflict and to thoroughly protect the nation's sovereignty and security interests is the constant application of new, evolved response capabilities."

He then emphasized, “It is the consistent principle of military activities of the armed forces of the Republic that they do not hesitate at all in carrying out their constitutional duty to suppress hostile sources that threaten national security and punish provocateurs.”

He threatened, “We sound the alarm over the reckless military maneuvers of the United States and its followers and sternly warn of the consequences it will cause,” and added, “If necessary, we will demonstrate our will and ability to respond to the enemy’s maneuvers by taking stronger and more decisive actions.”

This statement was made for the first time since the Minister of National Defense was replaced by Kim Sung-gi.

Previously, Chairman Kim Jong-un of the State Affairs Commission reviewed the 'problem of changes in the duties of major military commanders' at the 2nd meeting of the 9th Central Military Committee of the Workers' Party on the 29th of last month, dismissed Noh Gwang-chol from the position of Minister of National Defense, and appointed Kim Seong-gi, Director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army, as the new Minister of National Defense.