North Korea calls South Korea, US and Japan ‘Asian version of Nato’

SEOUL: North Korea criticised a joint military exercise by South Korea, Japan and the United States held this month, state media said on Sunday, saying such drills show the relationship among three countries has developed into “the Asian version of Nato”.

On Thursday, the three countries began large-scale joint military drills called “Freedom Edge” involving navy destroyers, fighter jets and the nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, aimed at boosting defences against missiles, submarines and air attacks.

The exercise was devised at the three-way summit at Camp David 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 a military bloc led by the US and its allies and will protect regional peace with an aggressive and overwhelming response, North Korea’s foreign ministry said in a statement, according to KCNA news agency.

The ministry also said Washington was continuing its effort to link up South Korea and Japan to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato), adding South Korea’s attempts to supply weapons to Ukraine is one example of that effort.

Seoul’s defence ministry said in a statement that the “Freedom Edge” exercise was in response to North Korea’s nuclear and missile program while dismissing Pyongyang’s criticism.