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North Korea warns of responding 'more intensively' to U.S. drills with South Korea, Japan

North Korea warned it would respond "more intensively" to U.S. joint military drills with South Korea and Japan. On Wednesday, U.S. B-1B Lancers flew with South Korean F-15Ks Slam Eagles and Japanese Mitsubishi F-2s in airspace near the Korean Peninsula. Photo courtesy of U.S. 7th Air Force
1 of 3 | North Korea warned it would respond "more intensively" to U.S. joint military drills with South Korea and Japan. On Wednesday, U.S. B-1B Lancers flew with South Korean F-15Ks Slam Eagles and Japanese Mitsubishi F-2s in airspace near the Korean Peninsula. Photo courtesy of U.S. 7th Air Force

SEOUL, Jan. 17 (UPI) -- North Korea warned Friday that it would exercise its right to self-defense "more intensively" as it condemned recent trilateral air drills held by South Korea, the United States and Japan.

The North's Foreign Ministry issued the statement after U.S. B-1B strategic bombers took part in an aerial exercise Wednesday with South Korean and Japanese fighter planes over waters near the Korean Peninsula.

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"From the outset of the year, the U.S. and its satellites are getting evermore undisguised in their military provocations to pose a grave challenge to the security environment of the DPRK," the statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency said.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is the official name of North Korea.

The ministry blamed U.S. "political and military provocations" for raising the danger of armed conflict in the region and said North Korea would respond "more intensively" to defend itself with a growing arsenal of weapons.

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"The DPRK's access to a more overwhelming war deterrent aimed at countering the U.S.-led hostile states' military threat is an essential requirement for maintaining the balance of forces on the Korean Peninsula and ensuring the security of the regional situation," the statement said.

Tensions have risen on the Korean Peninsula since the beginning of the year, with North Korea firing what it claims is a new hypersonic missile as well as a salvo of short-range missiles ahead of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration Monday.

The trilateral exercise was conducted to improve the allies' "deterrence and response capabilities against North Korea's increasingly sophisticated nuclear and missile threats, including the recent launch of hypersonic missiles," Seoul's Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

A pair of American B-1B bombers were joined by South Korean F-15K fighter jets and Japanese F-2 fighter jets, the ministry said.

Analysts and officials have speculated whether the North's latest launches are meant to deliver a message to the incoming Trump administration. During his first term, Trump held two high-profile summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and met him briefly a third time at the DMZ.

The diplomatic outreach failed to result in a nuclear deal, however, and Pyongyang has accelerated the development of its weapons programs in the intervening years. North Korea's growing military relationship with Russia is a particular concern for Washington and its allies.

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The North has sent munitions and missiles to Russia, as well as more than 12,000 troops to aid Moscow's war effort against Ukraine in the southwestern Kursk region, according to U.S. officials. Washington has warned that Russia intends to share advanced satellite and space technologies with Pyongyang in exchange.

Trump's nominee to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, raised eyebrows in Seoul during a Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday when he referred to North Korea as a "nuclear power" in a written response to policy questions.

South Korea quickly responded to the remarks, dismissing the possibility of recognizing North Korea as a nuclear weapons state, a status granted only to five countries under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, or NPT.

"North Korea is illegally developing nuclear weapons in violation of the NPT and related U.N. Security Council resolutions," Seoul's Defense Ministry said in a statement sent to reporters Thursday.

"North Korea's status as a nuclear state cannot be recognized, and North Korea's denuclearization must continue to be pursued as a prerequisite for permanent peace and stability not only on the Korean Peninsula but also around the world," the ministry said.

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