North Korea threatens 'toughest response' for South Korea-US annual joint military drill next week

By Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL (AA) - North Korea threatened Seoul on Friday with the "toughest response" if the annual joint military drills between South Korea and the US take place in the next weeks, saying, "The enemy states will have to pay dearly."

“The enemy states will have to pay dearly for their foolish and reckless war drills, which will lead to a self-defensive, fair, and square, threatening, toughest response from North Korea,” said a commentary on the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The annual Freedom Shield exercise will begin on Monday for 11 days, featuring computer-simulated drills and field training.

The commentary also highlighted the expansion of the exercise, noting that large-scale field drills will increase to 16 this year, up from 10 in 2024.

North Korea stated that if the US continues its “military muscle-flexing,” Pyongyang will have “no option but to renew” its “strategic deterrence,” calling the counteraction “inevitable.”

Last week, Kim Jong Un’s sister warned that North Korea would "renew" its strategic deterrence after the USS Carl Vinson arrived at a South Korean naval base.