"The US and the ROK kicked off again the provocative large-scale joint military drills to boost the unpredictability in the situation in the area of the armistice state … The Ministry of National Defense of the DPRK strongly denounces the reckless military drills of the US and the ROK," the spokesman said in a statement, published by North Korean state-run news agency KCNA.
On Monday, the Yonhap news agency reported that South Korea and the United States launched a joint Buddy Squadron fighter jet exercise as part of the broader annual military drills Freedom Shield to boost combat readiness amid allegedly rising threats from North Korea. The Freedom Shield exercises are expected to last from March 4-14.