North Korea slams ‘provocative’ US-ROK summer drills, warning of ‘counteraction’



News North Korea slams ‘provocative’ US-ROK summer drills, warning of ‘counteraction’ Defense minister statement represents higher-level response than in recent years, though experts call criticism routine Joon Ha Park \| Seung-Yeon Chung August 11, 2025 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Defense minister No Kwang Chol at the 4th Conference of Battalion Commanders and Political Instructors of the KPA \| Image: KCNA (Nov. 18, 2024) North Korea slammed the U.S. and South Korea as “military warmongers” over plans to carry out large-scale summertime drills this month, threatening counteraction if the annual exercises overstep “the boundary line.” In a press statement released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Monday, DPRK defense minister No Kwang Chol said the upcoming Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) drills demonstrate allies’ stance of military confrontation with the DPRK and pose a serious challenge to security on the Korean Peninsula and in the region. The DPRK defense minister stated that “the military demonstration against the DPRK will certainly have a © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update & Podcast Updates Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by Trending

News

North Korea slams ‘provocative’ US-ROK summer drills, warning of ‘counteraction’

Defense minister statement represents higher-level response than in recent years, though experts call criticism routine

Joon Ha Park | Seung-Yeon Chung August 11, 2025

North Korea slams ‘provocative’ US-ROK summer drills, warning of ‘counteraction’

Defense minister No Kwang Chol at the 4th Conference of Battalion Commanders and Political Instructors of the KPA | Image: KCNA (Nov. 18, 2024)

North Korea slammed the U.S. and South Korea as “military warmongers” over plans to carry out large-scale summertime drills this month, threatening counteraction if the annual exercises overstep “the boundary line.”

In a press statement released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Monday, DPRK defense minister No Kwang Chol said the upcoming Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) drills demonstrate allies’ stance of military confrontation with the DPRK and pose a serious challenge to security on the Korean Peninsula and in the region.

The DPRK defense minister stated that “the military demonstration against the DPRK will certainly have a

About the Authors

Joon Ha Park

Joon Ha Park is a correspondent at Korea Risk Group. He has previously written on issues related to the two Koreas at The Peninsula Report, and appeared on ABC News Australia, Deutsche Welle and Monocle Radio. He specializes in offering in-depth analyses of South Korea’s defense policy, security relations and domestic politics for Korea Pro.

View more articles by Joon Ha Park EMAIL Twitter Got a news tip?Let us know!

Seung-Yeon Chung

Seung-Yeon Chung is a state media specialist at NK News. She previously worked in the Department of Unification and Foreign Ministry at Korean Broadcast System (KBS).

View more articles by Seung-Yeon Chung EMAIL Got a news tip?Let us know!