North Korea: US-South Korea military drills are dangerous provocation
North Korea's Foreign Ministry said that joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea were "a dangerous provocation," state news agency KCNA reported on March 10.
The annual South Korea-US military exercise, called Freedom Shield, scheduled to begin on March 10 and last until March 21, will include “live, virtual and field training.”
The South Korean military said the exercises were aimed at enhancing the alliance's combat readiness against threats, including from North Korea.
North Korea has long called for the joint exercises to be canceled, viewing them as preparations for an invasion.
"This is a dangerous provocation that pushes the tense situation on the Korean peninsula to the extreme, which could lead to an armed conflict between the two sides just because of an accidental shot," the North Korean Foreign Ministry said, according to KCNA.
Military cooperation between Seoul and Washington is regularly condemned by Pyongyang, where the government views such moves as preparations for an invasion and often conducts missile tests in response.
The latest drills come after two South Korean Air Force fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs on a village during a joint exercise with US forces on March 6.
The National Fire Agency of South Korea said 15 people, including civilians and military personnel, were injured in the incident.
Relations between Pyongyang and Seoul are at their lowest point in years, with North Korea launching a series of ballistic missiles last year in violation of United Nations sanctions.
