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Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Pyongyang warns of ‘resolute counter-action' over US-S. Korea drills
The US stations around 28,500 troops in South Korea. (AP pic) SEOUL : North Korea will react with 'resolute counter-action' in the event of provocations from upcoming joint military drills between South Korea and the US, its defence chief said in a state media dispatch today. The warning comes as Seoul and Washington are set to carry out their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, aimed at containing the nuclear-armed North, from Aug 18 to 28. North Korea – which attacked its neighbour in 1950, triggering the Korean War – has always been infuriated by US-South Korean military drills, decrying them as rehearsals for invasion. 'The armed forces of the DPRK will cope with the war drills of the US and (South Korea) with thoroughgoing and resolute counter-action posture… at the level of the right to self-defence,' North Korean defence chief No Kwang Chol said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency. The US stations around 28,500 troops in South Korea, and the allies regularly stage joint drills they describe as defensive in nature. Seoul and Pyongyang have recently appeared to be heading towards a thaw in relations, with the two sides removing propaganda loudspeakers along the border. Seoul has said North Korean troops have begun dismantling loudspeakers used to blare unsettling noises along the border, days after Seoul's new administration dismantled ones it used to broadcast propaganda. The two countries had already halted broadcasts along the demilitarised zone, Seoul's military said in June, after the election of president Lee Jae Myung, who is seeking to ease tensions with Pyongyang. Relations between the two Koreas had been at one of their lowest points in years under former president Yoon Suk Yeol, with Seoul taking a hard line towards Pyongyang, which has drawn ever closer to Moscow in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Lee has taken a different approach to dealing with the North since his election, including requesting that civic groups cease sending propaganda leaflets over the border by balloon.
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
North Korea warns of reprisal against South Korea-US drills
North Korea has denounced a major joint exercise planned by the South Korean and US militaries as 'direct military provocation' and warned of counteraction, despite signs of easing tension across the border under a new leader in Seoul. North Korea's Defense Minister No Kwang Chol said its military has an 'absolute mission' to defend national security against the large-scale 11-day drills by South Korea and the United States, which he said posed a real and dangerous threat. 'The armed forces of the DPRK will cope with the war drills of the US and the (South) with thoroughgoing and resolute counteraction posture and strictly exercise the sovereign right,' No said in a statement issued via the KCNA state news agency on Monday. DPRK is short for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name. No said the drills staged under the pretext of defense against threats were additional proof of the confrontational intent by the two countries that raises hostility and further destabilizes regional security. North Korea routinely denounces military drills by the South and the United States, having called some previous exercises 'a rehearsal' for nuclear war on the Korean peninsula, even as Pyongyang conducted a range of missile tests and live fire artillery exercises. South Korea and the United States said last week the annual exercise would begin on August 18 to test command control and troop mobilization under an upgraded security strategy against a heightened threat of nuclear warfare by North Korea. However, the allies said a major part of the field exercise would be postponed and conducted separately next month, citing weather conditions. The postponement was widely seen as prompted by South Korea's liberal President Lee Jae Myung, who won a snap election in June, to ease tension with Pyongyang. Ties between the rival Koreas had plunged to some of the most hostile points in recent years, as the North pressed on with developing nuclear attack capabilities and dramatically boosted military ties with Russia. While Pyongyang has publicly rebuffed renewed outreach by Lee and Washington for dialogue, it was making moves seen as reciprocating some South Korean actions to ease tensions. South Korea said on Saturday it had detected the North's military removing some loudspeakers at the border, days after the South began dismantling similar equipment that had blared propaganda across the border. North Korea also seemed to have used a more restrained tone in criticisms about the US South Korea joint exercises, said an official at Seoul's Unification Ministry, which oversees ties between the Koreas. Pyongyang 'appears to focus on expressing its position on the drills, rather than making military threats,' ministry spokesperson Koo Byoungsam said at a briefing on Monday.
CNA
2 days ago
- Politics
- CNA
North Korea warns of 'resolute counteraction' over US-South Korea drills
SEOUL: North Korea will react with "resolute counteraction" in the event of provocations from upcoming joint military drills between South Korea and the United States, its defence chief said on Monday (Aug 11) in a state media dispatch. The warning comes as Seoul and Washington are set to carry out their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, aimed at containing the nuclear-armed North, from Aug 18 to 21. North Korea – which attacked its neighbour in 1950, triggering the Korean War – has always been infuriated by US-South Korean military drills, decrying them as rehearsals for invasion. "The armed forces of the DPRK will cope with the war drills of the US and (South Korea) with thoroughgoing and resolute counteraction posture ... at the level of the right to self-defence," North Korean defence chief No Kwang Chol said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency. The US stations around 28,500 troops in South Korea, and the allies regularly stage joint drills they describe as defensive in nature. Seoul and Pyongyang have recently appeared to be heading towards a thaw in relations, with the two sides removing propaganda loudspeakers along the border. Seoul has said North Korean troops have begun dismantling propaganda loudspeakers used to blare unsettling noises along the border, days after Seoul's new administration dismantled its own. The two countries had already halted propaganda broadcasts along the demilitarised zone, Seoul's military said in June, after the election of President Lee Jae Myung, who is seeking to ease tensions with Pyongyang. Relations between the two Koreas had been at one of their lowest points in years under former president Yoon Suk Yeol, with Seoul taking a hard line towards Pyongyang, which has drawn ever closer to Moscow in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Reuters
2 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
North Korea warns of reprisal against South Korea-US drills despite signs of tensions easing
SEOUL, Aug 11 (Reuters) - North Korea has denounced a major joint exercise planned by the South Korean and U.S. militaries as "direct military provocation" and warned of counteraction, despite signs of easing tension across the border under a new leader in Seoul. North Korea's Defence Minister No Kwang Chol said its military has an "absolute mission" to defend national security against the large-scale 11-day drills by South Korea and the United States, which he said posed a real and dangerous threat. "The armed forces of the DPRK will cope with the war drills of the U.S. and the (South) with thoroughgoing and resolute counteraction posture and strictly exercise the sovereign right," No said in a statement issued via the KCNA state news agency on Monday. DPRK is short for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name. No said the drills staged under the pretext of defence against threats were additional proof of the confrontational intent by the two countries that raises hostility and further destabilises regional security. North Korea routinely denounces military drills by the South and the United States, having called some previous exercises "a rehearsal" for nuclear war on the Korean peninsula, even as Pyongyang conducted a range of missile tests and live fire artillery exercises. South Korea and the United States said last week the annual exercise would begin on August 18 to test command control and troop mobilisation under an upgraded security strategy against a heightened threat of nuclear warfare by North Korea. However, the allies said a major part of the field exercise would be postponed and conducted separately next month, citing weather conditions. The postponement was widely seen as prompted by South Korea's liberal President Lee Jae Myung, who won a snap election in June, to ease tension with Pyongyang. Ties between the rival Koreas had plunged to some of the most hostile points in recent years, as the North pressed on with developing nuclear attack capabilities and dramatically boosted military ties with Russia. While Pyongyang has publicly rebuffed renewed outreach by Lee and Washington for dialogue, it was making moves seen as reciprocating some South Korean actions to ease tensions. South Korea said on Saturday it had detected the North's military removing some loudspeakers at the border, days after the South began dismantling similar equipment that had blared propaganda across the border. North Korea also seemed to have used a more restrained tone in criticisms about the U.S.-South Korea joint exercises, said an official at Seoul's Unification Ministry, which oversees ties between the Koreas. Pyongyang "appears to focus on expressing its position on the drills, rather than making military threats," ministry spokesperson Koo Byoungsam said at a briefing on Monday.
