The Chief of the Policy Office of the Ministry of National Defence of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Sunday issued the following press statement titled "The US-Japan-ROK Military Nexus Threatening Regional Peace Should Be Closely Watched and Deterred":

Recently, the US-Japan-ROK's military cooperation and joint military actions have been conducted periodically with more threatening nature. They are the main danger factors heightening the level of the military tension on the Korean peninsula and in its vicinity.

On July 11, the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea waged a provocative tripartite joint air drill by mobilizing various kinds of combat bombers including the strategic bomber "B-52H" in the sky over the Korean peninsula and its vicinity. On the same day, they held a meeting of the chairpersons of the US-Japan-ROK joint chiefs of staff to openly reveal their attempt to further accelerate the tripartite military cooperation targeting the DPRK and other regional countries.

We express serious concern over their hostile acts of persistently conducting provocative and threatening military actions while deliberately ignoring the security concern of the DPRK and strongly warn of the grave consequences to be entailed by them on the regional situation.

This year the United States is continuously posing a danger to the security environment of our state while renewing the records in the number of deploying strategic strike means on the Korean peninsula and drastically increasing the frequency and scale of joint military drills with its satellite countries.

The US strategic bombers, stealth fighters and various air reconnaissance assets are being massively deployed at US military bases in Japan and the Republic of Korea and the US secretary of Defense, the secretary of Navy, the transportation commander and other military officials appeared in the vicinity of the Korean peninsula to fan up confrontation hysteria. The US-Japan-ROK tripartite military cooperation is getting more offensive.

The serious development in which the military alliances between the United States and Japan and between the United States and the Republic of Korea have completely changed into a nuclear-based triangular military alliance and the tripartite military cooperation is being promoted in all spheres heralds the fact that the long-running instability and tension on the Korean peninsula can lead to an unpredictable phase of military confrontation at any moment.

Irresponsible acts of the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea steadily heightening the level of tension and danger on the Korean peninsula should be closely watched and deterred.

We clearly recognize that the attainment of the reliable and overwhelming military capability is the most realistic way to deter the practical application of the doctrine of "peace through strength" pursued by the United States and neutralize the joint military action plan of the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea.

It is our just sovereign right to take countermeasures against provocative military actions such as the moves to strengthen the multilateral military alliance threatening the security of the region and the joint military drills with clear aggressive character.

Our armed forces are in constant military preparedness to check the collective provocations by the United States and its vassal forces, deter their aggressive attempt and effectively cope with war acts.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea will more clearly express its invariable stand that it will never tolerate any slightest act which exerts a negative influence on the security environment of the state with its practical military counteraction and continue to take responsible measures to defend the sovereignty and security interests of the state.