SEOUL, October 30 (AJP) - North Korea condemned a joint military exercise between South Korea and the U.S., vowing to respond with force, state media reported on Friday.
In a statement carried by the state-run [North] Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), a spokesperson for North Korea's Defense Ministry described the exercise, known as "Freedom Flag," which began earlier this week and runs through next week, as a "provocative" military drill targeting the North.
The spokesperson said the exercise went beyond routine air force training, involving a wide range of military aircraft from both countries including fighter jets, airborne early warning aircraft, aerial refueling tankers and attack drones.
North Korea argued that the large number of aircraft involved revealed the exercise's military purpose, contradicting the allies' claim that it was defensive in nature.
It also warned that any military action it considers a threat to its security could become a target for its armed forces.
Freedom Flag, a biannual exercise aimed at strengthening cooperation between South Korean and U.S. forces, began Thursday and runs through Nov. 6, with most of the drills taking place around Kunsan Air Base in North Jeolla Province.
The exercise also includes drills to prepare South Korea's military for the transfer of wartime operational control of its forces from the U.S.
The North's latest condemnation comes amid rising tensions between the two Koreas, with Pyongyang recently threatening to resume loudspeaker broadcasts along the border, followed by a barrage of missile launches toward the East Sea the previous day.
In a statement carried by the state-run [North] Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), a spokesperson for North Korea's Defense Ministry described the exercise, known as "Freedom Flag," which began earlier this week and runs through next week, as a "provocative" military drill targeting the North.
The spokesperson said the exercise went beyond routine air force training, involving a wide range of military aircraft from both countries including fighter jets, airborne early warning aircraft, aerial refueling tankers and attack drones.
North Korea argued that the large number of aircraft involved revealed the exercise's military purpose, contradicting the allies' claim that it was defensive in nature.
It also warned that any military action it considers a threat to its security could become a target for its armed forces.
Freedom Flag, a biannual exercise aimed at strengthening cooperation between South Korean and U.S. forces, began Thursday and runs through Nov. 6, with most of the drills taking place around Kunsan Air Base in North Jeolla Province.
The exercise also includes drills to prepare South Korea's military for the transfer of wartime operational control of its forces from the U.S.
The North's latest condemnation comes amid rising tensions between the two Koreas, with Pyongyang recently threatening to resume loudspeaker broadcasts along the border, followed by a barrage of missile launches toward the East Sea the previous day.
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