No Kwang Chol, Minister of National Defence of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, on Sunday issued a press statement titled "It Is the Absolute Mission of the Armed Forces of the Republic to Defend Its Security Interests from Hostile Threats of the United States and the Republic of Korea", which said:

The US and the ROK military warmongers officially announced that the large-scale joint military exercises Ulji Freedom Shield will start from August 18.

The enemies do not conceal the fact that a new manual and methods of modern warfare targeting regional countries as well as the DPRK will be applied to the joint military exercises to be staged throughout the whole realms with the mobilization of the US overseas troops, including the expedition of the US Marine Corps, and even the troops from member states of the "UN Command".

We strongly denounce the United States and the Republic of Korea for their provocative moves of clearly showing the stand of military confrontation with the DPRK and making another serious challenge to the security environment on the Korean peninsula and in the region and solemnly warn them of the negative consequences to be entailed by them.

The Ulji Freedom Shield to be staged under the simulated conditions of a real nuclear war is not only a direct military provocation against the DPRK but also a real threat to amplify the unpredictability of the situation on the Korean peninsula in the state of armistice and freeze the instability of the regional situation.

The unilateral military threat and confrontation attempt perpetrated by the United States and the Republic of Korea under the pretext of containing "threat" from someone are the main reason why the situation on the Korean peninsula and in its surrounding region is changing negatively day by day.

The military demonstration against the DPRK will certainly have a boomerang effect of plunging the security of the United States and the Republic of Korea into a less safe situation.

From the point of view of power, it is the absolute mission of the armed forces of the DPRK to contain offensive movements of the enemy states, counter their military provocations and defend the security of the state and the peace of the region.

The armed forces of the DPRK will cope with the war drills of the United States and the Republic of Korea with thoroughgoing and resolute counteraction posture and strictly exercise the sovereign right of the DPRK at the level of the right to self-defence in a case of any provocation going beyond the boundary line.