North Korea Views South Korea, US, and Japan as Asian Version of NATO

(Patria) - North Korea has criticized the joint military exercise of South Korea, Japan, and the United States held this month, state media reported this morning, stating that such exercises show that the relationship between the three countries has developed into an "Asian version of NATO."

On Thursday, the three countries began large-scale joint military exercises called "Freedom Edge," involving naval destroyers, fighter jets, and the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, aimed at strengthening defense against missile, submarine, and air attacks.

The exercise was designed at the Camp David summit last year to strengthen military cooperation amid tensions on the Korean Peninsula stemming from North Korea's weapons testing.

Pyongyang will not ignore the strengthening of the military bloc led by the US and its allies and will protect regional peace with an aggressive and overwhelming response, a statement from the North Korean Foreign Ministry said, according to the KCNA news agency, as reported by Reuters.

The ministry also said that Washington continues efforts to link South Korea and Japan with NATO, adding that South Korea's attempts to supply weapons to Ukraine are one example of that effort.

South Korea said it would consider the possibility of supplying weapons directly to Ukraine, in protest against the recent mutual defense pact signed between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

South Korea and the United States have accused Pyongyang of supplying Russia with weapons used in the war in Ukraine. Both Russia and North Korea deny such transactions.

North Korea's ruling party held a key meeting on Saturday, chaired by Kim, which addressed "deviations" hindering economic development and outlined the focus for the second half of the year, state media reported.

North Korea has long condemned joint exercises between the United States and South Korea as a rehearsal for invasion and evidence of the hostile policy of Washington and Seoul. Last year, the three countries organized joint naval missile defense and anti-submarine warfare exercises to improve responses to North Korean threats.