North Korea Condemns Joint U.S.-South Korea Military Drills

North Korea has strongly criticized the scheduled joint military exercises involving South Korea and the United States, describing them as a 'direct military provocation' on Monday. This denunciation comes amid growing expectations of reduced tensions following the election of a new leader in Seoul.

Defense Minister No Kwang Chol insisted that North Korea's military remains committed to defending its national security in the face of the large-scale, 11-day drills. He pointed out that these exercises, held under the pretense of defense, highlight confrontational intentions by South Korea and the U.S., threatening regional stability.

Despite North Korea's critique, South Korea and the United States have countered by stating that the annual exercise, postponed partly due to weather conditions, is essential to testing command control and troop mobilization. The drills, however, face scrutiny from South Korea's liberal President Lee Jae Myung, who is keen to lessen tensions with Pyongyang.

(With inputs from agencies.)