North Korea has criticized the U.S. Valiant Shield 22 exercise in which the Japanese Self-Defense Forces participated, claiming it could provoke a physical clash.
The Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the Workers’ Party, said on the 16th, “The U.S. military has caused a commotion with large-scale military exercises in the Asia-Pacific region with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces,” referring to the Valiant Shield exercise that began on the 7th.
The newspaper criticized, “What cannot be overlooked is that the U.S. military, which has been conducting this exercise unilaterally with the sign of being regular every two years, has brought in the Japanese Self-Defense Forces for the first time.” It added, “The regional situation is spreading unusually due to the U.S.’s reckless military actions.”
It then claimed, “The purpose of the U.S. blatantly conducting military exercises in the Asia-Pacific region is to suppress and contain countries that can challenge them and to hold military supremacy.” It continued, “The regional security environment is precarious and the foundation of world peace and safety is greatly shaken.”
It further threatened, “No one knows when this treacherous military provocation movement will cause an intense physical clash. If that becomes a reality, the provocateurs will be in an uncontrollable disastrous situation.”
Furthermore, the newspaper revealed its alertness by stating, “The nuclear-powered supercarrier Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) is said to be crawling into South Korea after finishing this exercise.”
Meanwhile, the Valiant Shield exercise, conducted from the 7th to the 18th of this month, is a biennial exercise that the U.S. has been conducting in the Pacific region, including Guam. It focuses on the jointness of various armies in multi-domain combat situations. The Japanese Self-Defense Forces participated in the exercise for the first time this year.
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