The daily "Rodong Sinmun" on the 28th carried a commentator's article titled "The Seriousness of the Military Exercises of the United States and Its Stooges Commented".

The article reads:

The situation of the Korean peninsula is going to the critical point every moment beyond the level of danger.

The war frenzy and suffocation moves of the United States against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea which are growing in March go to an unpardonable serious stage.

We have already aroused their attention to the fact that the reckless military provocations and war exercises of the United States would bring the situation of the Korean peninsula to the critical point of dangerous nuclear war on the eve of explosion.

The United States and the south Korean puppet traitors, however, get undisguised in their attempt of aggression against the DPRK more belligerently and frantically.

Despite the serious warning of the DPRK government and the just demand of the international community for putting a stop to the military provocations and war exercises disturbing peace and stability of the Korean peninsula and the region, the United States got more undisguised in its bid to invade the DPRK and put it into practice, showing its option.

At the beginning of this month the United States sent major strategic assets such as nuclear submarines, Aegis destroyers, strategic bombers and attacking drones to south Korea in succession to stage joint war exercises on the sea and in the air. From the 13th, the United States conducted large-scale joint military exercises "Freedom Shield" together with the south Korean puppets, which simulated an all-out war on us beyond the plan of precision attack and "preemptive attack" on the DPRK's nuclear and missile facilities.

It has been more clearly uncovered this time that the large-scale joint exercises "Freedom Shield" resumed last year are not the "annual exercises of defensive character" often talked about by the United States and the south Korean puppets.

The current exercises were the longest-ever ones which consisted of "landing in Wonsan", "occupation of Pyongyang" and "beheading operation" aimed at surprise attack on strategic points of the DPRK according to the "OPLAN 5015" and were conducted day and night for 11 days by going straight into the stage of "occupation and stabilization", not in the established way.

During the period, the United States conducted military actions of highest level against the DPRK in the sky of major regions in the area of the Korean peninsula by mobilizing all sorts of reconnaissance assets including the reconnaissance plane with "air reconnaissance electronic warfare system" of the Army and "RC-135V" and "RC-135S", the reconnaissance planes of the Air Force.

Before and after the "Freedom Shield" the US and south Korean puppet military warmongers conducted all sorts of powder-reeking war exercises in the sky and on the ground and sea, including a joint river-crossing operation, a joint aerial attacking and combined mobile drill, a joint war materials supporting drill and a joint drill for scientific battle.

On the other hand, the operational command of the south Korean puppet Air Force conducted an exercise for "special inspection of preparedness for decisive battle in 2023" for three days between the 13th and the 15th, loudly talking about so-called "punishment". Besides, the south Korean puppet warmongers conducted so many exercises independently.

The United States and the south Korean puppets are staging the largest-ever joint landing drill "Ssangryong" again in parallel from the 20th, which had been suspended for five years since 2018.

The "Ssangryong" joint landing drill is aimed at "occupying Pyongyang". Involved in the drill were tens of vessels including the US Navy's assault craft "Mackin Ireland" known as a virtual light aircraft carrier carrying 20 "F-35B" stealth fighters, more than 70 fighters of all kinds, 50 armoured cars for landing and charge and more than 10,000 troops.

A senior officer of the US Air Force and the commander of the US 7th Air Force came to south Korea to hatch a plot of scenario on a war against the north. And then, the US-Pacific Marine Corps Commandant controlling 70 percent of the troops of the US Marine Corps came to south Korea to command the "Ssangryong drill".

This drill is aimed at starting with the "escorting operation" for moving the landing force to a safe area and gradually expanding to the "mine-sweeping operation", "advance troops operation" and "decisive action"

In the drill of the "decisive action" stage, in particular, large-scale joint war potentials of the United States and the south Korean puppet army will be deployed on the sea and in the air to occupy the targeted area.

They inveigled the special warfare unit of a satellite state which had participated in the past Korean War into the current exercises and mobilized even the nuclear carrier "Nimitz" of the US Navy to them. It shows that the option made by the United States against the DPRK was not restricted to its military operation, but clearly developed to a stage of practical criminal act.

The striking group consisting of the nuclear-powered carrier "Nimitz" and Aegis destroyers "Wain E. Maier" and "Decatur" of the 11th Aircraft Carrier Flotilla of the US Navy conducted a joint naval exercise around the south of Jeju Island on the 27th, which is said to have been "planned to strengthen the ability to implement the extended deterrent through the deployment of the US strategic assets". It also came into the Pusan Port on the 28th for a new war exercise.

The United States and the south Korean puppets also scheme to conduct the largest-ever-scale "joint firepower exercise for annihilation" in June with the mobilization of the joint war potentials of their three services along with latest weapons.

All the demonstrative military exercises of the enemy clearly show that they are military actions of preemptive attack which can no longer be overlooked as they are conducted, making an aggressive war on us a fait accompli.

The military exercises are much larger and longer than those in ordinary years and huge offensive weapons are committed to them. Such action is conducted ceaselessly and consecutively day and night, every month and every week.

The commitment of even the nuclear carrier flotilla along with the most offensive military hardware is as good as an open declaration of war on the DPRK.

Ridiculous is the frenzy of the south Korean puppets along with the US confrontation moves.

Some time ago, the Minister of National Defence of south Korea said: "The north is threatening peace and stability of the world beyond the Korean peninsula with diverse missiles including the intercontinental ballistic missile. It is necessary to further strengthen our exercises in this situation." Aboard the carrier "Nimitz" of the US Navy on the 27th, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of south Korea used superficial and impertinent rhetorical expressions and speaking way that "the south Korea-US alliance will resolutely give an overwhelming response to any provocation and aggression of the enemy" and "they will make a gruesome punishment in case of contingency", revealing their frenzy of confrontation and kicking off "bravery".

All facts clearly show that the war exercises frantically escalated in south Korea are not mere military exercises but actual manoeuvres for nuclear war to mount a preemptive attack on the DPRK in view of their essence, character, scale, content and form and they are pursuant to the political and military choice of the United States seeking confrontation with us and finally trying to fight a war without hesitation.

The United States crazy for dangerous war exercises in south Korea is the mastermind of disturbing peace and stability of northeast Asia including the Korean peninsula and it is the principal aggravator of the situation.

The present acute situation was created entirely by the United States and its satellite forces to suffocate us by force of arms. Fostering the physical strength capable of deterring it is an issue on our right of self-defence and accordingly, nobody can slander it.

It is quite natural for our nuclear forces to perform their crucial mission in coping with the grave situation in which the sovereignty and security of the state are threatened.