SEOUL - North Korea has declared intentions to take "offensive and overwhelming countermeasures" in response to recent joint military exercises conducted by South Korea, the United States, and Japan, which it views as a threat to its sovereignty.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the statement issued through the Korean Central News Agency follows the signing of a "comprehensive strategic partnership" treaty between North Korea and Russia. This treaty includes a commitment to provide military assistance to each other swiftly if either is subjected to an armed attack. The North Korean statement condemned the trilateral exercises, claiming they strengthen military alliances against it and vowing to defend its sovereignty and regional peace aggressively.
The exercises, named "Freedom Edge," concluded on Saturday and were the first three-day trilateral multi-domain military drills involving air, maritime, underwater, and cyber domains, aimed at bolstering defenses against potential threats from North Korea.