North Korea’s party-run daily the Rodong Sinmun on Friday published a direct criticism of the U.S. — a rarity since bilateral negotiations picked up last year — condemning recent military training involving the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system.

The article, carried on the Rodong‘s last page, called recent THAAD drills “a military provocation” that is “clearly an extension of the U.S. policy of sanctions to stifle the DPRK,” and demanded Washington “stop all acts of hostility against the DPRK.”

While the Rodong has frequently carried criticismsof both Seoul and Washington for recent joint