North Korea denounced South Korea and the United States on Tuesday, claiming the two allies are using the annual Freedom Shield exercise ― a large-scale joint military drill that began the previous day ― as a rehearsal for a preemptive strike on its nuclear facilities.
The Korean Central News Agency, a North Korean state-run media outlet, accused the two allies of escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula by increasing the scale of their joint drills, referring to the Freedom Shield exercise.
“The US and South Korea are carrying out military exercises in an unprecedentedly frenzied manner this year … exposing who is responsible for worsening tensions on the Korean Peninsula,” KCNA said.
KCNA further condemned the exercise as an "invasive and confrontational war demonstration," claiming that South Korea and the US "are attempting to apply 'Operation Plan 2022' to conduct a preemptive strike on our nuclear facilities."
Operation Plan 2022 is a joint military scenario designed by South Korea and the US to respond in the case of all-out war on the Korean Peninsula. Developed in 2022, the plan includes measures to respond if North Korea uses tactical nuclear weapons, alongside "Joint Desired Points of Impact," or precise locations the allies label as key North Korean military targets, such as biological weapons sites. According to local reports, the plan has been implemented since August 2024.
Regarding Pyongyang’s claim that the exercise is aimed at a preemptive strike, South Korea’s Defense Ministry declined to comment, stating that it "cannot disclose details of ongoing drills." The Joint Chiefs of Staff also refused to confirm the claim.
In a separate report, Rodong Sinmun, North Korea’s most widely circulated newspaper, echoed the KCNA’s stance, calling the exercise a "nuclear war drill" targeting the regime and its people.
“Every year, the US and its South Korean puppets mobilize the latest nuclear war equipment and massive invasion forces,” it said.
Meanwhile, both the KCNA and Rodong Sinmun remained silent on North Korea’s missile launches the previous day, in which multiple close-range ballistic missiles were fired into the West Sea in an apparent protest against the Freedom Shield exercise.
South Korea and the US maintain that their annual military drills are purely defensive, emphasizing their focus on protecting South Korea and its residents.
The 11-day Freedom Shield exercise will continue through March 20.
flylikekite@heraldcorp.com
