The resumption last week of joint ROK-U.S. marine drills “runs counter” to September’s DPRK-ROK military agreement, North Korea’s highest circulation daily newspaper claimed on Monday in an accusation swiftly denied by the South Korean military.

In an editorial, the Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), denounced the ROK-U.S. Korean Marine Exchange Program (KMEP) joint military drill, which began on November 5.

Seoul and Washington in June originally agreed to suspend selected joint military drills, including Ulchi Freedom Guardian and two KMEP training exercises, originally scheduled to take place between July and September.

In an