North Korea Condemns West Sea Joint Military Exercise: "Will We Just Sit Still?"... Five Days After GP Shooting

"Complete Reversal of the Inter-Korean Military Agreement" Brazen Denial

The site of the super-large multiple rocket launcher test firing conducted by North Korea in November last year

North Korea recently warned on the 8th, referring to the joint defense exercises conducted by the South Korean military in the northwest, saying, "The enemy is openly clamoring to strike us, so do you think we will just sit still?" This came just five days after the shooting incident at a South Korean guard post (GP) by North Korean forces on the 3rd.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of People's Armed Forces of North Korea stated in a commentary released through the Korean Central News Agency on the same day that the defense exercises conducted on the 6th by the Air Force Air Combat Command (Air Combat Command) together with the Navy 2nd Fleet in the operational airspace over the West Sea were "the peak of military confrontation" and "a complete regression of the inter-Korean military agreements."

The spokesperson claimed, "This joint exercise was carried out in the air and sea over the West Sea, the hottest hotspot area where military clashes between the two Koreas had occurred in the past, and was openly conducted under the assumption of our so-called 'abnormal signs' and 'provocations.'"

He pointed out, "Everything is returning to the starting point before the 2018 inter-Korean summit."

The spokesperson added, "What is even more serious is that the South Korean military referred to us as the 'enemy' and conducted such military exercises," emphasizing, "This is a grave provocation that cannot be overlooked and a situation where we must respond appropriately."

He stated, "The South Korean military did not hide that the purpose of this joint exercise was to improve the ability to respond to North Korea's firepower and surprise 'provocations,' to strike the 'enemy's' 'provocation' points, and to repel supporting forces."

He continued, "The reckless military provocations by the South Korean military are a complete violation and blatant betrayal of the inter-Korean military agreement, which prohibits all hostile acts against each other on land, sea, and air, and especially aims to make the West Sea area a peaceful zone."

The spokesperson said, "This has once again made us realize and deeply engrain the fact that the enemy is indeed the enemy."

On the 6th, the South Korean Air Combat Command conducted joint defense exercises with the Navy 2nd Fleet in the operational airspace over the West Sea.

The exercise was organized to enhance the ability to respond to enemy firepower provocations and surprise attacks, reportedly involving about 20 aircraft including the Air Force's main assets such as F-15K, KF-16, F-4E, and FA-50, as well as fast patrol boats from the 2nd Fleet.

Meanwhile, on the 3rd, North Korean forces fired shots at a South Korean guard post (GP) in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Gangwon Province. The South Korean side pointed out that this shooting violated the September 19 inter-Korean military agreement, which calls for a complete cessation of all hostile acts. However, North Korea has not expressed any regret so far.

Yeo Sang-gi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification, said at a regular briefing on the 6th, "As far as I know, North Korea has not made any statements regarding similar incidents such as the GP shooting," adding, "Based on past precedents, North Korea often does not respond at all to policy controversies or issues that generate much debate."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.