North Korea has sharply criticised a new round of joint military exercises involving the United States, South Korea and Japan, accusing Washington and its allies of increasing military tensions in Northeast Asia.
The remarks came as the latest edition of the Freedom Edge exercise officially began, bringing together forces from the three countries for five days of training designed to enhance coordination across multiple military domains.
Conducted in waters and airspace around the Korean Peninsula and at military facilities in Japan, the drills focus on improving cooperation in areas including air defence, maritime operations, missile defence and cyber security.
While Seoul and Washington have described the exercises as defensive in nature, North Korea views them as evidence of a growing military alignment directed against it.
In a statement carried by state media, North Korean officials condemned the drills as a provocation that could increase the risk of confrontation in the region.
Defence Minister Kim Song Ji warned against what he described as reckless military activities by the United States and its allies, arguing that the exercises were contributing to a more dangerous security environment on the Korean Peninsula.
Pyongyang also reiterated its long-standing position that it would continue responding firmly to what it sees as hostile policies from Washington.
The latest criticism reflects North Korea's growing concern over enhanced military cooperation between the United States, South Korea and Japan, a partnership that has expanded significantly in recent years in response to Pyongyang's missile and nuclear programmes.
The exercise comes weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested a more cautious approach towards military activities involving South Korea.
In August, Trump said he had instructed the Pentagon to scale back separate bilateral exercises with Seoul, arguing that such drills were expensive and sent an unnecessarily hostile message to North Korea.
Despite those remarks, Freedom Edge has gone ahead as planned, highlighting the importance Washington, Seoul and Tokyo place on maintaining readiness and strengthening coordination against regional security threats.
South Korean officials have consistently argued that joint exercises remain necessary to deter potential aggression and improve collective responses to missile launches and other military challenges.
The latest tensions unfold against a backdrop of continuing concern over North Korea's weapons programmes.
South Korea and Japan have repeatedly warned about advances in Pyongyang's missile capabilities, while the United States has continued to stress the importance of close coordination with regional allies.
The trilateral exercises also reflect broader strategic changes in the Indo-Pacific, where cooperation among U.S. allies has become increasingly important amid growing geopolitical competition and security concerns.
For North Korea, however, the strengthening relationship between Washington, Seoul and Tokyo is often portrayed as evidence of an encirclement strategy aimed at undermining its security.
As the Freedom Edge exercise began, South Korea was simultaneously taking steps to strengthen defence ties elsewhere in Asia.
South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back met Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. in Seoul, where the two sides agreed to expand military and defence industry cooperation.
The discussions covered a range of areas, including personnel exchanges, joint military exercises and broader collaboration between their defence establishments.
Officials also discussed opportunities to deepen cooperation in the arms sector, building on existing partnerships involving naval and air defence systems.
During the talks, Seoul promoted its defence manufacturing capabilities and expressed interest in participating more actively in the Philippines' military modernisation programme.
South Korea has emerged as a major exporter of defence equipment in recent years, supplying a range of military systems to partners across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
Philippine officials praised South Korea's defence industry and signalled support for expanding cooperation beyond existing projects.
The meeting also highlighted broader regional security cooperation, with both sides discussing peacekeeping operations and developments in the wider Indo-Pacific region.
Ukraine has almost run out of Patriot interceptor missiles, leaving the country vulnerable to Russian ballistic missile attacks, U.S. newspaper The...
The U.S. has banned government employees working in Saudi Arabia from using airports in the country without special authorisation. It com...
France is preparing for a fresh wave of nationwide demonstrations this weekend as rising living costs, educatio...
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia, vowing to carry out more attacks in the coming days.
The Saudi-led coalition said early Thursday that it intercepted and destroyed a drone over Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to pilot drones. A source in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the restrictions would make it harder for Kyiv's army to down Russian drones.
Ukraine is set to restart attacks on Russian oil refineries following a two-day pause, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, amid growing tensions with Washington over energy strikes and U.S. military support.
Kenya has confirmed a second case of Ebola, intensifying efforts to prevent the spread of the virus after the country recorded its first-ever infection earlier this month.
Ukraine has almost run out of Patriot interceptor missiles, leaving the country vulnerable to Russian ballistic missile attacks, U.S. newspaper The Washington Post reported on Friday. The country has just two Patriot missile remaining, a Ukrainian official spoken to by the newspaper said.
A 16-year-old shooter opened fire on Thursday at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon in the United States, killing four people, including three children, before being killed by an armed member of the community who had pursued the assailant into the school, police said.
France is preparing for a fresh wave of nationwide demonstrations this weekend as rising living costs, education concerns and growing political tensions converge into one of the most significant protest movements seen in the country in recent years.
British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has called for closer cooperation between the United Kingdom and the United States, arguing that the transatlantic partnership remains essential to addressing modern security challenges and maintaining stability across Europe.
Ukraine is set to restart attacks on Russian oil refineries following a two-day pause, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, amid growing tensions with Washington over energy strikes and U.S. military support.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment