North Korea warns of decisive response to US-South Korea joint military drills

SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - North Korea would decisively respond to military threats posed by its enemies, referring to the ongoing joint military exercise between the U.S. and South Korea, state media reported on Wednesday.

In a commentary carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea said its "right to self-defense" would be exercised "clearly" through what it described as "advanced new power" to "fully neutralize military threats from enemies."

But KCNA made no mention of U.S. President Donald Trump's order last weekend to reduce the scale of the annual joint drills. Instead, it focused on the scale and structure of Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), describing the exercise as "increasingly dangerous" and accusing Seoul and Washington of repeatedly expanding and upgrading their training.

It also claimed that the exercise, which lasts more than 10 days, poses a greater threat to its security and escalates tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

This year's UFS, which began earlier this week and runs for about 10 days, is an annual joint military exercise consisting of computer-simulated drills and some field training aimed at strengthening the allies' readiness and ability to respond to potential threats on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea has long condemned the exercise as a "rehearsal for invasion" by what it calls "warmongers," while Seoul and Washington maintain that it is defensive in nature.

Meanwhile, U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson met with South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back the previous day, apparently to discuss Trump's order to scale down the exercise, amid signs that about a dozen field-training drills could be downsized.

AJP Takeaways
• North Korea warned on Aug. 19, 2026, that it would take a "decisive" response to what it described as military threats from its enemies, in reference to the ongoing U.S.-South Korea Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise.
• North Korea said its "right to self-defense" would be exercised through what it called "advanced new power" to "fully neutralize military threats from enemies," but did not specify what form its response would take.
• North Korea's state media, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), criticized the scale and structure of the UFS exercise, calling it "increasingly dangerous" and accusing the United States and South Korea of repeatedly expanding and upgrading their military training.
• The 2026 Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise began on Aug. 17, 2026, and is scheduled to run for about 10 days, combining computer-simulated drills with field training to strengthen U.S. and South Korean military readiness.
• On August 18, 2026, U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson met with South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, apparently to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump's order to scale down the annual joint drills, amid indications that about a dozen field-training drills could be reduced in scope.