Pyongyang warns that Seoul, Washington will pay ‘dear price’ as joint exercise begins

North Korea condemned on Tuesday the annual Freedom Shield exercise between South Korea and the United States that began this week, warning that a “dear price” will be paid for what the regime called “war drills.”

“The large-scale war drills staged by the world’s biggest nuclear weapons state and more than 10 satellite states against a state in the Korean peninsula where a nuclear war may be ignited even with a spark, can never be called ‘defensive,’” read an English-language statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The statement was issued by an unnamed spokesperson at North Korea’s Defense Ministry.

On Monday, South Korea and the United States began the annual Freedom Shield joint military exercise, meant to strengthen their combined defense posture against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, for an 11-day run. A total of 48 field training drills will take place across South Korea during this year’s exercise, more than double the number from last year.

A five-day Buddy Squadron aerial exercise was also launched Monday at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, in conjunction with Freedom Shield, according to the South Korean Air Force.

“The U.S. and the Republic of Korea will be made to pay a dear price for their false choice while realizing that it causes their security uneasiness at a serious level every moment,” the spokesperson said in the statement carried by the KCNA.

The North’s Defense Ministry “strongly denounces the reckless military drills of the U.S. and the ROK for getting more undisguised in their military threat to a sovereign state” and “severely warns them to stop the moves further causing provocation and instability,” added the spokesperson.

The ROK, or the Republic of Korea, is South Korea’s official name.

“The armed forces of the DPRK will continue to watch the adventurist acts of the enemies and conduct responsible military activities to strongly control the unstable security environment on the Korean peninsula,” continued the statement.

The DPRK, or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, is North Korea’s official name.

This year’s Freedom Shield exercise participants include service members from a dozen United Nations Command (UNC) member states, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, France, Britain, Greece, Italy, New Zealand, the Philippines and Thailand.

The exercise aims to ensure the allies can strengthen their combined defense posture and enhance their response capabilities against a spectrum of security threats through virtual and field-based training involving military personnel and related agencies.

BY LIM JEONG-WON, MICHAEL LEE [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]