North Korea criticises US, South Korea joint military drills

North Korea criticised on Friday annual joint military drills planned by the United States and South Korea, saying it will worsen the situation on the Korean Peninsula, state media KCNA said.

North Korea criticised on Friday annual joint military drills planned by the United States and South Korea, saying it will worsen the situation on the Korean Peninsula, state media KCNA said. Annual South Korean and U.S. military exercises called Freedom Shield are due to begin on Monday and run until March 20, aiming to strengthen readiness for threats such as North Korea, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) previously said.

The drills will "deteriorate circumstances in the Korean Peninsula," KCNA said. "We have already made it clear that if the United States continues to renew its ... military demonstrations, we will have no choice but to renew ... strategic deterrence," KCNA said without elaborating.