DPRK Foreign Ministry Spokesman Censures U.S.-Japan-S. Korea Joint Military Drill

   Pyongyang, October 22 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK gave the following answer to a question put by KCNA Saturday as regards another joint military drill launched by the U.S. in league with Japan and the south Korean puppet forces against the DPRK:

   The U.S., Japan and south Korean puppet forces Saturday started a provocative joint naval drill chiefly targeting the DPRK with Aegis destroyer and many warships and forces involved.

   The saber-rattling is another grave military provocation against the DPRK and a revelation of the wild ambition to secure hegemony by wrecking peace and security in the region.

   Not content with staging the largest-ever joint naval drill with south Korea by mobilizing the huge strategic assets including the nuclear aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan recently, the U.S. let Japan join in the above-said naval maneuver to put military pressure upon the DPRK. This shows that the U.S. is to chiefly blame for the escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula.

   The on-going joint military drill on the Korean peninsula that followed the missile warning exercise held in June last goes to clearly prove that the U.S.-Japan-south Korea triangular military alliance is no longer a "ghost-like" one but is taking into shape as core part of the U.S. strategy for dominating Asia.

   In actuality, the U.S. is openly claiming that the U.S.-Japan-south Korea cooperation is being expanded according to the second-stage goal of its Asia-Pacific rebalancing strategy.

   The reality shows again that the Workers' Party of Korea and the DPRK were so just when they adopted the line and policies on bolstering up the nuclear deterrence for self-defence in quality and quantity.

   The DPRK will resolutely frustrate all challenges of the U.S. and its vassal forces to reliably defend peace and security on the Korean peninsula and in the region by taking hold on the treasured nuclear sword for independence and justice.

Received from the DPRK Embassy