South Korea And The US Plan Annual Military Exercise, North Korea Ancam Will Give Strong Response

Illustration of ATACM MGM-140 launch drills by the US Army and South Korea. (Wikimedia Commons/US Army)

JAKARTA - North Korea on Friday threatened to provide a firm and strong response, as South Korea and the United States prepare for annual military exercises as part of efforts to fend off rising nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.

North Korea's Foreign Ministry accused the United States of stoking tensions and using the UN Security Council (DK PBB), as an illegal hostile policy tool to suppress Pyongyang.

North Korea has "detained itself from special military action" this year except for regular activities, but the allied scheduled exercises will create "an escalating spread of tension," the ministry said.

"If it's a US option to show its muscles and fight everything with muscles, the same goes for the DPRK option," the ministry said in a statement broadcast by state media KCNA.

The ministry uses the country's official name acronym, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"If the US and South Korea carry out their planned military exercises that have been announced by the DPRK... consider them preparation for the war of aggression, they will face strong and persistent resistance that has never happened before," the statement said.

The ministry also warned that if UN DK continues to be "involved" by Washington, they will reconsider additional actions outside of normal military activities, without elaborating.

The statement comes less than two hours after South Korea announced joint exercises on the table next week, aimed at increasing operations of American nuclear assets, and regular spring exercises next month.

The nuclear drill, called the Prevention Strategy Committee's Tabletop Exercise, is scheduled for February 22 at the Pentagon and will involve senior defense policymakers from both sides, the Seoul defense ministry said.

This will be their first exercise since both sides agreed last year to hold it every year, with Seoul seeking to increase confidence in America's extended deterrence - its military capabilities, especially nuclear forces, to prevent attacks on its allies.

On February 23, officials will visit the Kings Bay naval base in Georgia housing the main nuclear submarine.

"With a focus on North Korea's nuclear threat, both sides will conduct in-depth discussions on various measures to strengthen US prevention, including sharing information and consultation procedures," the ministry said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the field exercise titled Freedom Shield spring will begin separately in mid-March in South Korea for 11 days.