A spokesman for the General Staff of the Korean People’s Army on August 22 issued the following press statement “The situation in the ROK clouded with powder smoke will make our army further bolster its full combat readiness”:

Despite the unanimous concern and opposition of the public at home and abroad, the US and the ROK finally kick-started the large-scale joint military drill Ulji Freedom Shield on August 18.

The joint military drill being staged on land, at sea and in the air of the ROK under the deceptive signboard of “shield of freedom,” is an extremely provocative and aggressive large-scale drill for an actual war aimed at a sudden preemptive attack on the DPRK as it is an actual command and field manoeuvring drill for applying and mastering new manuals and methods of modern warfare in actual conditions of the Korean peninsula.

The gravity and danger of the drill lie in the fact that it includes the application of “OPLAN 2022,” a war scenario simulating “preemptive strike” against the nuclear facilities of the DPRK, and various kinds of exercises staged by forces and mechanized strike groups above regimental level to manoeuvre in attacking formation and fire live shells.

The reckless war drill of the US and the ROK warmongers is seriously threatening the security environment of the DPRK and extremely aggravating tension on the Korean peninsula and in the region.

Particularly, some of British warships which were engaged in the joint maritime drill in the Pacific entered the Pusan operational base and other forces of member states of the “UN Command” participated in the joint military drill, and thus the “Ulji Freedom Shield” completely turned into a multinational joint military drill and the military threats against the DPRK were redoubled.

All the facts clearly show once again that the adventurous military drill of the US and the ROK leads to the destruction of balance of power in the region and the chief culprit disturbing peace on the Korean peninsula is none other than the US and the ROK.

There is no other place in the world like the region around the DPRK where huge armed forces are concentrated and conduct military drills in an actual atmosphere of war.

The full combat readiness of our army to perfectly contain and smash any hostile military move against the DPRK will be further bolstered.

The DPRK army, as it has already declared, will counter the military provocations of the hostile forces posing direct threat to the safety of the country with thoroughgoing and indiscriminate exercise of the right to self-defence.

KCNA