Key facts
- North Korea denounced the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States.
- The North Korean commentary vowed to "completely neutralize the enemies military threat" and exercise its right to self-defense.
- President Donald Trump ordered a substantial cut to the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise.
- North Korea criticized the joint drills for becoming more sophisticated and geared toward actual combat.
- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung stated the drills are defensive and not aimed at North Korea.
North Korea has denounced the joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States, calling the drills aggressive and vowing to continue exercising its right to self-defense. The commentary, carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), did not directly mention President Donald Trump's recent order to scale back the annual combined exercise, a move widely seen as a conciliatory gesture toward Pyongyang.