DPRK criticizes joint military drills

SEOUL — The Defense Ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea voiced grave concern on Saturday over escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.

As a new round of joint maritime drills between the United States and the Republic of Korea is underway near the peninsula, a spokesperson for the DPRK's Defense Ministry called it "an event of considerably huge negative splash to the regional situation", as quoted by the KCNA.

"This is a sort of military bluffing meant to issue the so-called warning to the righteous reaction shown by the Korean People's Army to the extremely provocative and threatening joint military drills of the US and the ROK," said the spokesperson, adding that the DPRK armed forces are taking a serious approach in the face of the "extremely worrisome development of the present situation".

On Sept 26, the ROK and the US began joint maritime drills near the Korean Peninsula, involving the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan along with over 20 warships from the two sides.

After the USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group was redeployed to the peninsula on Wednesday to hold an exercise with navies from the ROK and Japan on Thursday, the US and the ROK began another joint naval exercise east of the peninsula on Friday.

Japan's Defense Ministry said on Saturday that Tokyo and Washington were conducting a joint military drill involving USS Ronald Reagan in areas around Japan. The joint drill, in which a Japanese destroyer is participating, began on Oct 1, the statement said. It did not say when it is scheduled to end.

Xinhua - Agencies