Press Statement of Kim Yo Jong, Department Director of C.C., WPK

Pyongyang, September 18 (KCNA) -- Kim Yo Jong, department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, issued the following press statement "The U.S.-led regular war rehearsals constitute the main source of ever-worsening situation of the Korean peninsula and the region" on Sept. 18:

The frantic military moves of the U.S. to destroy the balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region have profoundly negative impact on the situation of the Korean peninsula and the region.

Shortly ago, the U.S. staged the joint multinational naval drill Pacific Vanguard 2026 with Japan, the puppet ROK and other satellite forces in the waters near Guam.

During the war rehearsal, various naval training for U.S.-centered anti-warship, anti-air and anti-submarine warfare was staged intensively for more than ten days. This was another threatening "war game" invented by the U.S. for inter-camp confrontation in the region.

When it launched the first round of Pacific Vanguard in 2019, the U.S. did not conceal the confrontational nature of the drill, asserting that the drill is aimed at "effectively and cooperatively responding to various incidents that may occur in the region" and, the number of the countries involved in it is on the steady increase.

This is a part of the U.S. political and military design to prolong its hegemony by relying on the military strength of the exclusive camp in the Asia-Pacific region where there are many big powers regarded as its major rivals.

In fact, the U.S. realizes more keenly with the lapse of time that the reorganization in the relations of forces in the Asia-Pacific region is very unfavorable to the actualization of its ambition for hegemony.

Much upset by the fast-changing mechanical structure in the region, the U.S. seeks to pressurize other countries and expand the sphere of its military power by frequently staging big and small military exercises involving its vassal forces.

This year alone, many U.S.-led multinational military drills were conducted in the Asia-Pacific region, including the joint multinational drill Cobra Gold, the joint air drill Pitch Black, the largest-ever joint naval drill RIMPAC involving a number of NATO member states in Europe and the joint military drill Super Garuda Shield which was staged in parallel with Pacific Vanguard.

The above-said drills were also staged under the pretext of "enhancing capability for jointly coping with marine threats" and "checking joint operation capability in environment of complex air operation". All facts cast light on the sinister purpose of joint military drills.

In particular, Japan and the ROK have always joined such military training together and this unpleasant fact suggests that the U.S.-led bellicose military moves are being intensified with the U.S.-Japan-ROK tripartite military cooperation system in full operation as an axis.

The gravity of the U.S.-led multinational military maneuvers is further highlighted by the stark reality that the primary target of the U.S.-Japan-ROK triangular military cooperation is the DPRK.

The regular U.S.-led war rehearsal is the main source of ever-worsening situation in the Korean peninsula and the region.

Such deplorable situation prevailing in the region, where the vicious cycle of escalating tensions is repeated due to the reckless provocative moves for hegemony of the U.S. seeking to put the region under their control through power concentration, reminds us more clearly of the things we should do.

In my personal opinion, it is inevitable that outsiders' greater threat to our national security makes our physical power grow stronger ceaselessly in a corresponding manner.

And all the unstable environments "provided" by the enemies are proving the validity and scientific accuracy of the DPRK's defence policy and emphasizing the inevitability of the steady upgrading of our national defence capability.

In some aspects, it can be said that the enemies give us good "help".

The present situation, in which new records are set in terms of practical action hostile toward the DPRK, stresses the need to break records in our responsive action, proportional or more offensive in its nature.

We are well aware that this is necessary.

Our will to defend our sovereignty will be expressed in clearer action and there will be never ever change in the course of intensifying the nuclear war deterrence.

I remind the enemy once again that if it is judged that the supreme interests of our nation and its military sovereignty and security environment in the region have been seriously violated by their military maneuvers, the armed forces of the DPRK will invoke the relevant provisions true to their constitutional obligations and mobilize all means available to cope with it. -0-