North Korea condemned the recent US-South Korea joint exercise, 'Iron Mace,' which was conducted in secret, labeling it a "demonstration of nuclear war" and reaffirming its commitment to strengthening its nuclear deterrence.
Kim Jong-sik, First Vice Minister of the Workers' Party of Korea, stated on November 2 through the Korean Central News Agency that "our defense policy aimed at accelerating the enhancement of nuclear war deterrence will remain unchanged."
Citing South Korean media reports, Kim noted that the Iron Mace exercise, which integrated US nuclear capabilities with South Korean conventional forces, took place from September 29 to October 2.
He criticized the exercise, saying, "The very name 'Iron Mace' is aggressive and represents the most heinous demonstration of nuclear war aimed at our nation. The fact that it has been conducted annually since 2024 shows that the ambitions of the United States to crush us with nuclear weapons remain unchanged."
Kim also mentioned the outdoor maneuver exercise 'Homeland Defense' and the large-scale joint air exercise 'Freedom Flag' conducted last month. He claimed that the participation of a training unit from the US Marine Corps in multi-domain reconnaissance training in South Korea was intended to support South Korea's 'kill chain' and facilitate the rapid deployment of US reinforcements in case of an emergency.
He raised concerns about the participation of US mainland air forces in the US-Japan joint exercise 'Keen Sword,' which took place from October 19 to 29, describing these series of drills as military actions aimed at assessing reconnaissance and reinforcement forces that could be deployed in the event of a crisis on the Korean Peninsula.
Kim asserted, "The recent military activities conducted by the enemy, whether publicly or privately, clearly indicate that we must constrain and control them with even stronger nuclear capabilities."
He concluded by emphasizing that "the reality teaches us that strength is peace, and peace is guaranteed only through strength," pledging that nuclear deterrence will be pursued to safeguard the nation's sovereignty, security, and regional peace.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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