North Korea slams US-South Korea-Japan drills as 'air espionage'

North Korea's Foreign Ministry on Monday denounced upcoming trilateral military exercises by the United States, South Korea and Japan as acts of "air espionage," accusing Washington of pursuing an unchanging hostile policy that threatens Pyongyang's sovereignty and security interests while dismissing recent American diplomatic overtures.

The statement, carried by state-run KCNA, came after the US State Department reiterated its commitment to the "complete denuclearization" of North Korea and raised concerns about human rights conditions. The State Department "openly betrayed its extremely sinister and vicious hostile attempt to tarnish the image of our country and create its internal instability, talking about someone's 'human rights abuses,'" the ministry said. It added that the "Freedom Edge" exercises scheduled from Sept. 7-11 near Jeju Island demonstrate Washington's persistently hostile approach despite the Trump administration cutting short joint drills with Seoul earlier this month in an apparent bid to encourage dialogue.

Nuclear arsenal defended as regional tensions mount

Pyongyang emphasized its nuclear deterrent as an absolute defensive necessity against Washington's confrontational posture. "Our nukes serve as an absolute guarantee for defending its sovereignty," the ministry stated, adding that the trilateral drills constitute a "threat to the DPRK and regional countries" and accusing the US and its allies of "perpetrating air espionage and other anti-DPRK military provocations one after another."

Military leadership reshuffle

The diplomatic condemnation coincided with a leadership change in North Korea's military hierarchy. Kim Song Gi, director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army, was appointed defense minister on Sunday, replacing No Kwang Chol, who was reassigned as vice director of the Munitions Industry Department, according to KCNA.