North Korea Opposes ROK-US Joint Exercises as "Strongest Justification for Hardline US Response"... Signaling to China?

North Korea has opposed the South Korea-U.S. regular joint military exercise "Freedom Shield (FS)," which begins on the 10th, stating, "It should be remembered that it only adds a justifiable reason to the principle of the strongest response to the U.S. and leads to undesirable consequences of facing increased security threats."

On the 16th, the birthday of North Korean National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-il, Kaepung County, Hwanghaebuk-do, North Korea, shrouded in fog as seen from Odusan Unification Observatory in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. February 16, 2025. Photo by Yonhap News.

The Workers' Party of Korea's official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported on the same day a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Information Department titled "The forceful actions that the U.S. is recklessly displaying will lead to a return to an intensified security crisis."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the South Korea-U.S. joint exercise, which is defensive in nature, as an "aggressive and confrontational war demonstration," calling it "a reckless provocative act that raises the already tense situation on the Korean Peninsula, which could trigger physical clashes between both sides due to an accidental gunshot, beyond the extreme point."

In particular, referring to the second term of the Donald Trump U.S. administration, it said, "Regardless of the inevitable policy ambiguity that comes with regime change, the military madness consistently carried out by the U.S. clearly reveals their inherent hostile attitude toward our country, focusing on sanctions, pressure, and confrontation."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared, "We have expressed our will to continue exercising strategic deterrence in response to the U.S.'s ongoing military demonstrations," and warned, "Our responsible efforts to establish lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the region through reliable power accompanied by the rapid development of nuclear forces will be intensified."

Furthermore, North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentioned that the South Korea-U.S. joint exercise not only escalates tensions on the Korean Peninsula but also "solidifies tensions in the regional situation," adding that "it increases legitimate security concerns not only for our country but also for regional countries."

Regarding this, Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, analyzed, "The qualitative and quantitative expansion of this South Korea-U.S. joint exercise is not solely aimed at North Korea," adding, "It is a message targeting China as well, reminding that the deployment of U.S. military power on the Korean Peninsula is not beneficial to China, and it encourages socialist countries to respond in solidarity."

However, North Korea continues to moderate the tone of its anti-U.S. messages by using the format of a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Information Department rather than the name of a high-ranking official. Professor Yang said, "Although the timing coincides with the South Korea-U.S. joint exercise, the use of a statement format indicates a moderated tone," and added, "By publishing it in Rodong Sinmun, it seems to imply an intention to consolidate the regime."