North Korea says US-South Korea exercises ‘no longer tolerated’

The United States and South Korea on Monday began one of their largest joint military air exercises, which will involve hundreds of warplanes from both sides carrying out simulated strikes 24 hours a day for the better part of a week.

Condemning the exercise, in a statement carried by North Korea’s official news agency, the secretary of the Central Committee of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party, Pak Jong Chon, warned the United States and South Korea against any attempt to attack. .

“If the US and South Korea attempt to use the armed forces against the DPRK without fear, the special means of the armed forces of the DPRK will carry out their strategic mission without delay, and the US and South Korea will face a terrible case.” will have to be faced and paid. The most terrible price in history,” the statement said, using the initials of North Korea’s official name.

It demanded that Washington and Seoul “stop their frantic ‘military games’ and inflammatory comments.”

“It is a big mistake to accept this only as a warning of danger in the current situation. Such military haste and provocation cannot be tolerated any longer,” the statement said.

North Korea’s foreign ministry on Monday called for an end to the exercises, saying they could take “more powerful follow-up measures” from Pyongyang.

The two Koreas are technically at war, even after the 1950–53 conflict ended with a ceasefire rather than a peace deal.

North Korea South Korea has technically remained at war since the end of the armistice agreement in the 1950-1953 Korean War.

Washington and Seoul believe North Korea is about to resume testing nuclear bombs for the first time since 2017 and has adopted a strategy of “intimidation” of Pyongyang through major military exercises, which are some of the current and Former officials say tensions could worsen.

White House security spokesman John Kirby was asked at a regular briefing on Tuesday whether there were concerns that North Korea could conduct a nuclear test at a G20 meeting in the middle of the month.

“In general, our concern remains high,” Kirby said.

US President Joe Bidenwhose fellow Democrats face tough midterm elections on 8 November, due to travel to Cambodia from 12–13 November to attend the US-ASEAN summit and East Asia summit, and then to Indonesia from 13–16 November. are about to travel. G20.

This story has been published without modification in text from a wire agency feed.