North Korea has issued a sharp warning against upcoming joint military exercises involving the United States, South Korea, and Japan, calling them a reckless provocation that risks igniting further instability on the Korean Peninsula. The warning, delivered through Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, underscores the growing tension in the region amid Pyongyang’s deepening military ties with Russia and its hardline stance on nuclear development.

From September 15 to 19, South Korea, the United States, and Japan are set to carry out large-scale joint military drills off South Korea’s Jeju Island. The exercises will integrate naval, air, and missile-defense operations, aiming to bolster collective readiness in the face of what officials describe as “evolving threats” from North Korea.

In addition to the live-action drills, Seoul and Washington plan to conduct a tabletop exercise designed to improve command and control systems and ensure smoother coordination of their combined assets. The Pentagon has long emphasized that these exercises are defensive in nature, but Pyongyang has consistently rejected this explanation.

For decades, North Korea has branded such drills as dress rehearsals for invasion, a position it has used to justify its own military build-up, including missile launches and nuclear tests.

Kim Yo Jong, often considered her brother’s de facto deputy, issued a blistering statement on September 14 through the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). She

© Blitz