The Chief of the External Policy Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on January 17 issued the following press statement "We will contain any attempt at hostile military provocation and bring the unstable regional situation under control with a more extensive exercise of our right to self-defence":

From the outset of the year the U.S. and its satellites are getting evermore undisguised in their military provocations to pose a grave challenge to the security environment of the DPRK.

On January 6 and 9, the U.S. Air Force strategic reconnaissance planes flew over the Korean peninsula several times to perpetrate aerial military espionage against the DPRK on its strategic depth. Such acts were followed by the 4 th U.S.-ROK "nuclear consultative group" meeting in Washington on January 10 to plot a nuclear war drill on the Korean peninsula and an enhanced visibility of deploying U.S. strategic assets.

Especially on January 15, B-1B strategic bombers of the U.S. Air Force were deployed in the sky over the open sea near the Korean peninsula to stage a U.S.-Japan-ROK joint air drill. On the same day, the U.S. and ROK air forces were seen staging the first aerial live-shell firing drill in the new year.

The U.S. political and military provocations, witnessed day after day in and around the Korean peninsula where huge armed forces of warring nations are confronted with each other with high vigilance and the danger of military conflict is hovering around at all times, constitute the direct cause and danger of an armed clash detrimental to regional stability.

Having bid farewell to last year with the largest-ever war drills, the U.S. is bidding welcome to the new year with military provocations involving its satellite countries - this goes to prove that it is the U.S. that is to blame for instability in the region, and foretells the apprehensive direction of the development of military-political situation on the Korean peninsula in the new year.

The DPRK Foreign Ministry expresses serious concern over the provocations of the U.S. and its followers that will add another factor of instability to the already high tension on the Korean peninsula, and clarifies once again that the DPRK's exercise of the right to self-defence to defend her sovereign rights and security interests will be conducted in a more intensive manner.

Possession of a more overwhelming war deterrent by the DPRK is prerequisite to maintaining the balance of forces on the Korean peninsula and ensuring the security of the regional situation, for it is aimed at countering the hostile military threat coming from the U.S. and its vassal states.

As already clarified, the DPRK will resolutely deter any attempt at military provocation by the hostile forces and firmly defend the security interests of the state and the regional peace and stability by exercising her right to self-defence in a more extensive and thorough manner, pursuant to the strategy of maximum hard-line counteraction.