Overview
- KCNA condemned recent U.S.-South Korea military activities, labeling them efforts to deter the DPRK and destabilize regional security.
- U.S. Forces Korea responded that the exercises are transparent, long-planned training focused on deterrence and regional stability.
- Recent drills cited include Silent Shark near Guam, where South Korea for the first time sent a domestically built submarine, and a Nov. 17–21 counter–special operations exercise near Pyeongtaek.
- KCNA also criticized the Air Force’s consolidation of F-16s into larger units at Osan Air Base, the Marines’ Forward Arming and Refueling Point on Japan’s Yonaguni Island, and a Proliferation Security Initiative drill scheduled in early December.
- Pyongyang warned it will treat perceived encroachments on its security sphere as direct targets, while Seoul’s Joint Chiefs described the activities as annual defensive exercises.