Pyongyang, June 30 2024 — North Korea has strongly condemned joint military exercises conducted by the United States, South Korea, and Japan on the Korean peninsula, likening their alliance to an "Asian version" of NATO. According to state media KCN, North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Sunday, rebuking the military drills as a threat to regional peace and stability, as reported by Reuters.

The statement from Pyongyang asserts that such actions, led by the United States, undermine the tranquility of the region, and North Korea vehemently opposes them. The military exercises, known as "Freedom Edge," commenced on Thursday and involved advanced Navy destroyers, fighter jets, and the US aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt. The drills aimed to enhance joint strategies against missile, submarine, and air threats.

In 2022, the three countries—US, South Korea, and Japan—signed a significant agreement to bolster military cooperation, a move that Pyongyang previously criticized with similar rhetoric, labeling it an "Asian outline of NATO."

The tension persists amidst North Korea's continued objections to what it perceives as provocative military actions by its neighboring countries and the United States in the region.