The "war maniacs" are acting "rashly" in holding computerized and field military exercises, the Korean Central News Agency reported. In the event that military drills in the south "infringe" on North Korean sovereignty, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) would unleash "merciless ultra-precision strikes" upon US strategic and military assets, military newspaper Stripes Korea reported.
The ‘Foal Eagle’ joint military drills recently incorporated the Nimitz-class USS Carl Vinson, a supercarrier formation comprising Carrier Strike Group One. The 4.5-acre floating piece of US war real estate can carry up to 6,000 crewmembers and 90 aircraft. Escorted by the USS Wayne E Meyer, a destroyer, Carrier Strike Group One is poised to drop anchor at the southern port of Busan on Wednesday, Stripes said.
War exercises "right in front of DRPK" embolden North Korea’s leaders to develop preemptive nuclear strike capability, according to Kim In Ryong, North Korean ambassador to the UN.
Japan is also participating in the battle simulations, which Pyongyang alleges are a dry-run for an invasion, according to a statement from the US Navy. The two-day drill with Japan is strictly defensive in posture, according to the US Navy, calling the effort "a trilateral missile warning informational link exercise." Lawmakers in Japan have considered adopting a strike first policy against North Korea, Sputnik reported.
On Tuesday, the Chinese foreign ministry weighed in on the war exercises in the region. "North Korea has violated UN Security Council resolutions banning its ballistic missile launches," spokeswoman Hua Chunying said. Nonetheless,”South Korea, the US — and now Japan — insist on conducting super-large-scale military drills," she added, before scolding the military actions of the participating countries as "a vicious cycle that could spiral out of control."
