The chief of the Policy Office of the Ministry of National Defence of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on July 13 issued the following press statement, titled "The US-Japan-ROK military nexus threatening regional peace should be closely watched and deterred":

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

On July 11, the US, Japan and the ROK waged a provocative tripartite joint air drill by mobilizing various kinds of fighter-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 Democratic People's Republic of Korea and strongly warn of the grave consequences to be entailed by them on the regional situation.

This year the US is continuously posing a danger to the security environment of our state while renewing the records in the number of deployment of 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 the US military bases in Japan and the ROK and the US secretaries of Defense and 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 of situation, in which the military alliances between the US and Japan and between the US and the ROK 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 may lead to an unpredictable phase of military confrontation at any moment.

The irresponsible acts of the US, Japan and the ROK steadily heightening the level of tension and danger on the Korean peninsula should be closely watched and deterred.

We clearly recognize that the possession 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 US and neutralize the joint military action plan of the US, Japan and the ROK.

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

Our armed forces are always in full military preparedness to check the collective provocations by the US and its vassal forces, deter their aggressive attempt and effectively cope with the acts of war.

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.