Pyongyang reinforces defense after aerial maneuvers by Seoul, Washington and Tokyo – Observer

North Korea warned this Friday that it will reinforce the country’s defense, after South Korea, the United States and Japan carried out joint aerial maneuvers in which two North American B-1B strategic bombers participated.

“We will contain planned hostile military provocations and control the unstable regional situation with a more intensive exercise of the right to self-defense,” the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement carried by state news agency KCNA.

Pyongyang accused allies of “add yet another factor of instability to the very serious tension on the Korean peninsula” and made it clear that he will exercise “the right of self-defense with greater intensity to protect the sovereign rights and security interests of the State”, according to the note.

The demonstrations “more forceful” deterrence aims to counter the “military threat from hostile states led by the US” and are an “essential requirement” for maintaining the balance of power on the peninsula and ensuring regional security, the North Korean regime said.

In a separate statement, also released by KCNA, North Korea criticized the United States for increasing defense spending, which North Korea said “increases the risks of military confrontations on the Korean peninsula and the region.”

The North Korean statements come two days after the three allied countries carried out aerial maneuvers in response to Pyongyang’s recent missile tests, including the launch of several short-range missiles on Tuesday and a long-range hypersonic projectile. intermediate, on the 6th of this month.

Seoul says Pyongyang fired unidentified projectile into the Sea of ​​Japan

Pyongyang denounced the action of US reconnaissance planes, claiming that they flew over the peninsula “to carry out aerial espionage”.

In addition to the Pentagon’s two strategic bombers, South Korean F-15K and Japanese F-2 fighters participated in Wednesday’s maneuvers, in a demonstration aimed at “jointly deterring North Korean threats”, the allies announced at the time.