North Korea warned South Korea and the United States that they would pay a “dear price” for beginning the Freedom Shield 2024 exercise, which North Korea considers “large-scale war drills.”
The exercise began on March 4th, will last until March 14th, and will test the capabilities of the two countries to deter North Korea from using nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
A spokesperson from North Korea’s Defense Ministry made the following statement that the Korean Central News Agency published: “The large-scale war drills staged by the world’s biggest nuclear weapons state and more than 10 satellite states against a state in the Korean peninsula where a nuclear war may be ignited even with just a spark can never be called defensive.”
“The U.S. and the Republic of Korea will be made to pay a dear price for their false choice while realizing that it causes their security uneasiness at a serious level every moment,” said the same spokesperson.
On March 4th, South Korean and American reconnaissance aircraft flew on an apparent mission to monitor North Korea for any provocations. The United States is also likely to send additional assets as a show of force against North Korea.
