North Korea warned the United States and its allies on Tuesday that it would consider the interception of its recurring test missiles over the Pacific Ocean “a clear declaration of war.”
The United States and South Korea intensified their defense cooperation and strengthened their joint maneuvers against this isolated nuclear-capable country, which in recent months has multiplied its missile tests.
Pyongyang alleges that its nuclear and weapons programs are self-defense and attacks the military exercises in Washington and Seoul, which it understands as preparations for an eventual invasion.
“It would be seen as a clear declaration of war against the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) in the event of a military response such as the interception of our strategic weapons tests,” Kim Yo-jong, the powerful powerhouse, said in a statement. sister of leader Kim Jong-un.
“The Pacific Ocean does not belong to the domain of the United States or Japan,” he continued in his statement, published by the official KCNA news agency.
North Korea “is always prepared to take appropriate, swift and overwhelming action,” he added.
Starting March 13, the US and South Korean militaries will hold their largest joint exercises in five years, dubbed “Shield of Freedom,” for 10 days.
In addition, last Friday, these two allied countries carried out air maneuvers that included the participation of the US B-52 bomber, which has nuclear capabilities.
In another statement on Tuesday, the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Washington of aggravating tensions between the two countries by organizing these air maneuvers. “Despite our repeated warnings, the United States continues to deliberately escalate the situation,” the ministry said in a statement published by KCNA and dated Monday.
The joint air exercises “clearly show that the project of using nuclear weapons against the DPRK continues its course at the pace of a real war,” he added.
Last week, Pyongyang urged the United Nations to call for an end to Washington’s and Seoul’s military exercises in the area and defended its own nuclear arsenal as “the surest way” to ensure the balance of power in the region.
