North Korea slams U.S.-Japan military drills as 'war rehearsal'

North Korea on Monday condemned the ongoing joint military exercise between the United States Marine Corps and Japan's Ground Self-Defense Forces, labeling it "a war rehearsal."

In an editorial carried Monday by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea criticized Japan for participating in the Resolute Dragon exercise, accusing it of sharpening its "invasion capability."

"Japan has aggravated the [security] situation in the region by deepening its military ties with the United States," the editorial claimed, also referencing Iron Fist, a separate U.S.-Japan combined exercise held in February.

The KCNA piece further claimed that long-range missiles were test-fired in a "preemptive" capacity intended to strike neighboring nations during Japan's first participation in a U.S.-led multinational exercise in the Asia-Pacific region in April and May.

It accused Japan of using the current "confusing" global situation to "justify its transformation into a war nation" and warned Tokyo of a "tragic end" should it persist in what it called "reckless" military behavior.

Notably, the piece stopped short of directly targeting the United States.

The Resolute Dragon exercise, which began on June 20 in Okinawa and Kyushu, major islands in southwestern Japan, is scheduled to end Tuesday.

Yonhap