North calls U.S. drills with South, Japan practice for ‘preemptive strikes’

Published: 02 Aug. 2025, 10:10

Updated: 02 Aug. 2025, 10:12

In this photo provided by the Defense Ministry, U.S. Air Force B-52H bombers, center, Korean Air Force KF-16 fighter jets, left, and Japanese Air Self-Defense Force F-2 fighter jets fly in formation during a joint air drill over international waters off Jeju Island on July 11. [AP/YONHAP]

 
North Korea on Saturday lambasted recent U.S. military drills with South Korean and Japanese forces, accusing them of being preparations for “preemptive strikes.”
 
The Rodong Sinmun, the North’s main newspaper, made the accusation in an article, taking issue with U.S.-led air drills that began last month near Japan and recent air logistics drills between South Korean and U.S. Marines.
 
 
“[They] are aimed at conducting pre-emptive strikes against our Republic,” the article read. “To ensure peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the region, indiscriminate military actions by the United States, Japan and South Korea must stop.”
 
The article also criticized ongoing trilateral military cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan, accusing it of being intended to “crush” the North by collective military force.
 
It said it is only “fair and upright” for the North to bolster its defense force in response to such activities.
 
South Korea has recently made efforts to strengthen three-way security cooperation with the United States and Japan amid evolving nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.

Yonhap