The allied U.S.-South Korean military along with nine other U.N. countries announced Monday they would be conducting an 11-day military exercise on or along the Korean Peninsula, which South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff claim will be the "largest-scale ever."
The exercise — ostensibly viewed by North Korea's Kim Jong Un as brinkmanship between two nuclear-armed entities — is designed to "strengthen the security and stability on the Korean peninsula and across Northeast Asia," according to the allied military pact's press release.
But shortly after Monday's announcement, North Korean state media issued a report of its own, with Kim saying that the Korean People's Army "should have an overwhelming military force and get fully prepared for coping with any war at any moment." The report also mentioned Kim calling for an increase in missile and munition production.
According to the Washington Examiner, North Korea has conducted more than 100 missile tests since the beginning of last year.
In April, President Joe Biden and South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol announced aims to deter North Korean aggression by sending a nuclear-armed submarine to South Korea.
During the announcement, Biden, while speaking at the White House Rose Garden, said, "The alliance formed in war and has flourished in peace. Our mutual defense treaty is iron clad and that includes our commitment to extend a deterrence — and that includes the nuclear threat, the nuclear deterrent."
The development marks a level of nuclear tensions on the Korean Peninsula not seen since the Cold War.
As UPI reports, South Korean and U.S. officials say the joint drills are a response to North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats and will draw on observations from real-world environments, such as Ukraine.
Days before meeting with Biden in April, South Korea's Yoon drew his country into the growing rhetoric around China's "One China" policy, which refers to not recognizing Taiwan as a sovereign state. The event drew out China's top envoy, calling on South Korea to stay out of its affairs.
Nick Koutsobinas ✉
Nick Koutsobinas, a Newsmax writer, has years of news reporting experience. A graduate from Missouri State University’s philosophy program, he focuses on exposing corruption and censorship.
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