No Mention of South Korea-U.S. Schedule Adjustment
North Korea has expressed opposition ahead of the upcoming South Korea-U.S. joint exercise "Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS)" scheduled to begin on August 18, declaring that "any provocative act that crosses the line will be met with the strict exercise of our sovereign right to self-defense." This response comes as South Korea and the United States have adjusted the schedule, including postponing some of the field training exercises (FTX) to September during UFS.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on August 11, North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang-chol stated in a statement titled "It is the absolute mission of the armed forces of the Republic to safeguard the national security interests from the hostile threats of the U.S. and South Korea," which was released the previous day, "We strongly condemn the provocative acts of the U.S. and South Korea and sternly warn of the negative consequences they will bring." This statement was also published in Rodong Sinmun, a newspaper accessible to North Korean citizens.
Defense Minister No said, "A show of force directed at the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will undoubtedly have the counterproductive effect of making the security situation of the U.S. and South Korea less safe," adding, "Deterring hostile acts by adversaries, responding to military provocations, and safeguarding national security and regional peace are the absolute mission of the armed forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."
He further warned, "Our armed forces will maintain a thorough and resolute posture to respond to the war exercises of the U.S. and South Korea, and will strictly exercise our sovereign right to self-defense against any provocative act that crosses the line."
No also stated, "The UFS, which simulates an actual nuclear war situation, is not only a direct military provocation against our country, but also a genuine threat that amplifies the unpredictability of the armistice situation on the Korean Peninsula and entrenches instability in the regional situation." He continued, "The unilateral military threats and confrontational attempts by the U.S. and South Korea, carried out under the pretext of 'deterring threats,' are the fundamental reason why the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in surrounding regions is deteriorating day by day."
Previously, South Korea and the U.S. announced that the UFS exercise will be held from August 18 to 28. UFS is a defensive exercise conducted annually in the second half of the year by South Korea and the U.S., consisting of a simulation-based command post exercise (CPX) and field training exercises (FTX). Notably, during this exercise period, the two countries decided to postpone approximately 20 out of the originally planned 40 FTX events to September.
However, in his statement, Defense Minister No made no mention of the adjustment to some of the training schedules by the South Korean side.
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