Choson Sinbo "North Korea to Take Corresponding Measures Depending on the Intensity of US-ROK Exercises in August"

On the afternoon of the 13th, during the Crisis Management Staff Training (CMST), a preliminary exercise for the first half of the year’s South Korea-U.S. joint training, military vehicles are stationed at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] Ahead of next month's South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises, the Choson Sinbo, the official newspaper of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan representing North Korea's stance, warned that corresponding measures could be taken.

On the 30th, in an article titled "South Korea-U.S. Joint Military Exercises Forced Ahead in a Brinkmanship Situation," Choson Sinbo claimed, "In a situation where the North Korea-U.S. confrontation is escalating into brinkmanship, repeatedly carrying out military provocations is like playing with fire right in front of the fuse of a nuclear war."

It added, "The North Korea-U.S. confrontation is becoming increasingly intense," and stated, "In a brinkmanship situation, corresponding measures proportional to the intensity of provocations and the level of confrontation carried out by the opponent may be taken."

It also described the South Korea-U.S. joint exercises as "a reckless act that turns the clock back to the brink of war," emphasizing, "It is impossible to predict how North Korea will crush the U.S.'s military provocations to prevent war."

This was a blatant threat that if the South Korea-U.S. joint exercises, which North Korea has opposed, proceed with high intensity, North Korea may engage in corresponding military actions.

The newspaper further criticized that despite the 2018 Singapore Agreement between the North Korean and U.S. leaders, in which the U.S. pledged to suspend the joint exercises, and the "commitment" made at the Panmunjom meeting the following year, "war exercises following a script for invading the North continue to be carried out."

However, it warned again, "Time has passed, and North Korea's war deterrence has become much stronger," adding, "The range of options for responding to provocations has also expanded."