North Korea adopts ‘important practical’ war deterrence measures: state media

Pyongyang’s move comes a day before Seoul and Washington begin their largest joint military drills in five years

North Korea is likely to use the drills as an excuse to carry out more provocations, including missile tests and perhaps even a nuclear test, analysts say

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (centre) attends a meeting of the 8th Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party of Korea in Pyongyang. Photo by KCNA via KNS/AFP

Published: 10:20am, 12 Mar 2023

North Korea has decided to take “important practical” war deterrence measures, state media reported on Sunday, a day before Seoul and Washington begin their largest joint military drills in five years.

The decision was made at a meeting of the ruling party’s military commission presided over by leader Kim Jong-un, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

“The meeting discussed and adopted the important practical steps for making more effective, powerful and offensive use of the war deterrent,” KCNA said.

The report said the move was aimed at “coping with the present situation in which the war provocations of the US and South Korea are reaching the red line” but did not elaborate on the measures.

South Korea and the United States are scheduled to start the “Freedom Shield” exercises on Monday, focusing on the “changing security environment” due to North Korea’s redoubled aggression, the allies said.

All such exercises infuriate North Korea, which views them as rehearsals for an invasion.

The country has said its nuclear weapons and missile programmes are for self-defence.

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