 "UN should demand end to South Korea-US military drills: North Korea")
North Korea called on the United Nation and the international community to urge the US and south South Korea to "immediately" halt their provocative remarks and joint military exercises which can put the Korean peninsula on an "extremely dangerous level," Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong said in a statement published in KCNA, North Korea's news agency.
In the statement, North Korea said that the military exercises by the US and South Korea have put the situation in the Korean peninsula on an extremely dangerous level through threatening rhetoric and military demonstration against the DPRK.
The statement comes after the officials from Seoul and Washington announced on Friday more than 10 days of large-scale military exercises, including amphibious landings, from March 13 to 23.
"They reportedly staged the fourth joint air drill of this year in the sky above the West Sea of Korea on Friday, with the mobilization of such various strategic hardware as B-1B strategic bombers and MQ-9 Reaper combat drone evaluated by themselves as superior," the Vice Foreign Minister said in the statement.
He further added, "Even at this moment, the US does not conceal the fact that it is conducting special operation drills aimed at a sudden strike at the major strategic bases of the DPRK in league with South Korea."
Kim Son Gyong also said that the situation in the Korean peninsula and the region is developing toward a very worried orientation and "no one wants" to own such irresponsible acts of the US and South Korea for escalating tension.
He also stated that it is regrettable that the UN had kept silent over the infringement upon the sovereignty and military demonstrations by the US and South Korea.
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"Shortly ago, I expressed deep regret at the fact that the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres kept mum about the US and South Korea's dreadful military provocation, but took an extremely unfair and imbalanced attitude of insulting the DPRK's self-defensive reaction as a provocation and threat," The Vice Foreign Minister said in the statement.
"The viewpoint and attitude towards the US-South Korea joint drills with clear aggressive nature serve as a touchstone for judging whether he is truly interested in the detente in the Korean peninsula or maintains impartiality, objectivity and equity in the settlement of the issue," he added.
According to the statement, Kim Son Gyong said that the frequent joint drills of the US and South Korea, which set such unrealistic and extremely dangerous purpose as 'regime end' of a sovereign state are aggravating the regional situation even with all sorts of threatening rhetoric are, indeed, vivid evidence that helps have a clear understanding of why the vicious cycle of tension has lasted in the Korean peninsula.
In the statement, he even warned the US and South Korea of counter-demonstration.
"If the UN secretary-general is truly interested in ensuring peace and security in the Korean peninsula, Northeast Asia and the rest of the world, he should no longer tolerate the anti-peace deeds of the US and South Korea inciting the reckless stand-off of force and hostility conflict," the Vice Foreign Minister added.