A South Korean military K1E1 tank crosses a floating bridge on the Imjin River throughout a joint river- crossing train between South Korea and the USA as part of the Freedom Defend army train in Yeoncheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 20, 2025.(AP Photograph/Ahn Younger- joon)
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea mentioned Friday it test-launched new anti-aircraft missiles, as its army threatened unspecified grave steps towards the U.S. and South Korea over their joint army drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal.
The official Korean Central Information Company mentioned that chief Kim Jong Un oversaw the exams Thursday and referred to as the missiles concerned “one other main protection weapons system” for North Korea.
The missile launches, North Korea’s sixth weapons testing exercise this yr, occurred on the identical day that the U.S. and South Korean militaries concluded their annual Freedom Defend command publish train. The 11-day coaching was the allies’ first main joint army workout routines because the inauguration of President Donald Trump in January, and the 2 international locations held numerous subject coaching workout routines alongside the Freedom Defend drills.
U.S. and South Korean officers describe their mixed army drills as defensive in nature, however North Korea slams them as a serious safety menace. Hours after this yr’s Freedom Defend coaching started on March 10, North Korea fired a number of ballistic missiles into the ocean.
On Friday, the North Korea’s Protection Ministry alleged the latest U.S.-South Korean drills concerned simulations to destroy underground tunnels within the North to take away its nuclear weapons. An unidentified ministry spokesperson mentioned the U.S. and South Korea would face penalties in the event that they carry out comparable provocative actions once more.
“The collected reckless army strikes of the U.S. and the ROK, seized with the daydream that they will jeopardize the sovereignty and safety of a nuclear weapons state, can undoubtedly carry the gravest penalties they don’t need,” the spokesperson mentioned in an announcement carried in KCNA.
ROK is the Republic of Korea, South Korea’s official identify.
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North Korea usually churns out warlike rhetoric and threats of assaults when the U.S. and South Korea militaries conduct massive drills.
Trump has mentioned he’s prepared to succeed in out to Kim to revive their diplomacy, however North Korea hasn’t made any public responses to Trump’s overture. Many specialists say Kim, now preoccupied together with his assist of Russia’s conflict efforts towards Ukraine, received’t doubtless embrace Trump’s outreach anytime quickly, however might significantly think about it when the conflict ends.
Kim and Trump met thrice in 2018-19 to debate North Korea’s potential nuclear disarmament, however their diplomacy finally fell aside as a result of disputes over U.S.-led financial sanctions on North Korea.
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