North Korea criticized the “Freedom Edge” military exercise between South Korea, Japan and the United States, held from June 27 to 29, as “provocative,” a foreign ministry statement was quoted as saying by the Korean Central News Agency on Sunday.
The statement said North Korea will not ignore the strengthening of the military formation led by the United States and its allies and will defend peace in the region with an aggressive and overwhelming response.
The three countries began large-scale joint military exercises on Thursday involving naval destroyers, fighter jets and the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, aimed at bolstering defenses against missile, submarine and air attacks.
The “Freedom Edge” exercise was conceived at a three-way summit at Camp David last year to boost military cooperation amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula due to North Korea’s weapons tests.
Last year, the three countries conducted joint naval missile defense and anti-submarine exercises to strengthen their ability to respond to threats from North Korea.
