External Policy Office of DPRK Foreign Ministry issues press statement
The United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea staged Freedom Edge, the first tripartite multi-domain joint military exercises in the waters near the DPRK from June 27 to 29.
In the past they staged many large and small joint military drills under various pretexts, but there had been no such a large-scale joint military drill dubbed with a special name.
We strongly denounce the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea for their repeated reckless and provocative military muscle-flexing against the DPRK and other independent states in the region and once again seriously warn of the fatal consequences to be entailed by them.
The regular US-Japan-ROK tripartite joint military exercises clearly show that the US strategy for world domination to encircle and contain independent sovereign states and secure its military hegemony has already crossed the red-line and is bringing about a very negative change in the world security environment and geopolitical mechanical structure.
The prevailing situation requires the independent sovereign states to steadily bolster up their self-defensive power to defend the security of the state and, at the same time, further strengthen mutual cooperation and concerted action so as to establish a structure of forces capable of effectively deterring the hostile forces' collective military intervention.
The DPRK will never overlook the moves of the United States and its followers to strengthen the military bloc, which openly destroys the security environment on the Korean peninsula and gravely threatens global peace and stability, but firmly defend the sovereignty, security and interests of the state and peace in the region through offensive and overwhelming countermeasures.