Seoul: North Korea on Monday condemned the ongoing joint military exercise between Japan's Ground Self-Defense Forces and the United States Marine Corps, labeling it "a war rehearsal."
According to Yonhap News Agency, in an editorial carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea criticized Japan for participating in the Resolute Dragon exercise, accusing it of sharpening its "invasion capability." The editorial claimed that Japan has aggravated the regional security situation by deepening its military ties with the United States, while also referencing Iron Fist, a separate U.S.-Japan combined exercise held in February.
The KCNA editorial further alleged that long-range missiles were test-fired in a "preemptive" capacity, intended to strike neighboring nations during Japan's first participation in a U.S.-led multinational exercise in the Asia-Pacific region in April and May. North Korea accused Japan of using the current global situation to "justify its transformation into a war nation" and warned Tokyo of a "tragic end" should it persist in what it called "reckless" military behavior.
The Resolute Dragon exercise, which began on June 20 in Okinawa and Kyushu, major islands in southwestern Japan, is scheduled to end Tuesday. Notably, the piece stopped short of directly targeting the United States.