North Korea "Strong Response"... Condemns ROK-US-Japan Drill Featuring B-1B Deployment

'Strongest Countermeasure Strategy Against the U.S.'... Escalating Offensive
North Justifies Military Buildup While Condemning Trilateral Drills

North Korea threatened to intensify its "right to self-defense" in response to the joint air drills conducted by South Korea, the United States, and Japan, which involved the U.S. Air Force B-1B strategic bomber. This move comes as North Korea appears to be escalating its offensive stance against the U.S. ahead of the launch of the "Trump 2nd term."

The Director of the Foreign Policy Department of North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a statement released on the 17th, "In the Korean Peninsula region, where the vast military forces of both parties to the conflict are on high alert and the possibility of constant military clashes looms, the political and military provocations by the United States, witnessed daily, are a direct cause of increased risk of armed conflict and the destruction of regional stability." He added, "We clearly reaffirm that our exercise of the right to self-defense to protect the sovereign rights and security interests of the state will be carried out with greater intensity."

Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The statement came two days after the joint air drills involving South Korea, the U.S., and Japan were conducted near the Korean Peninsula, with the U.S. B-1B strategic bomber deployed. The "provocative acts" mentioned by North Korea were directed at this exercise. The drills also included South Korean F-15K fighters and Japanese F-2 fighters.

The Director of the Foreign Policy Department said, "The United States has opened the new year with military provocations involving its allied countries," and expressed "serious concern over the provocative acts by the United States and its allied countries, which add new instability factors to the already highly tense situation on the Korean Peninsula."

In particular, he insisted, "As already declared, through the thorough and perfect exercise of the right to self-defense under the strongest countermeasure strategy, we will strongly suppress any arbitrary military provocations attempted by hostile forces," and "We will firmly protect the nation's security interests and regional peace and stability."

Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, declared the "strongest countermeasure strategy against the U.S." at the Party plenary meeting held at the end of last year. Having resumed military demonstrations with two missile provocations since the new year, North Korea is expected to gradually escalate its offensive against the U.S. ahead of the launch of the "Trump 2nd term."

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